Sheikh Sabah buried at Sulaibikhat Cemetery

Kuwait's late ruler Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, an acclaimed diplomat and mediator, was laid to rest on Wednesday, shortly after his half-brother was sworn in as the new emir.

Sheikh Sabah, who ruled the oil-rich nation for 14 years, died on Tuesday after undergoing treatment in hospital in Minnesota from July.

A Kuwait government Airbus A340 carrying his remains from the United States landed in the capital, where roads were cleared to allow passage of a convoy to the Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque for funeral prayers.

The new emir, 83-year-old Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah - who was sworn in at the National Assembly earlier on Wednesday -  was at the airport to receive the body along with other Kuwaiti officials, all wearing masks in line with anti-coronavirus measures.

People perform funeral prayers on the body of Sheikh Sabah in Kuwait City. Reuters

The late emir's remains were then buried at the Sulaibikhat Cemetery, in a simple ceremony at the public facility, in keeping with tradition.

The royal court said the funeral was largely restricted to the emir's relatives - a move likely designed to avoid large crowds due to the global health crisis. 

Sheikh Sabah earned a reputation as a shrewd, unshakeable leader who helped steer his country through the 1990 Iraqi invasion, crashes in global oil markets and upheavals in parliament and on the streets.

World leaders and Kuwaitisalike have hailed the legacy of the late emir, architect of the nation's modern foreign policy and mediator in some of the worst crises to grip the Gulf.

"This man was the safety valve of the Arab world, not just for Kuwait," Bandar al-Dahani, a Kuwaiti citizen said.

"God willing, that goodness will be in Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf and he will follow the emir's path."

Agence France-Presse