Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir on Wednesday, taking the oath of office in Kuwait's parliament after the death of his older brother Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah last week, the KTV 1 state-broadcaster reported.

Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah passed away last Saturday at the age of 86, making his successor the 17th emir of the country.

A day after his passing, Kuwait's late ruler was laid to rest on Sunday at a private funeral at the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque. Only members of the ruling family attended the ceremony, while the Speaker of the parliament was also present.

The 83-year-old newly sworn Emir, who officially reigned the country following a 3-day shutdown in the mourning of his late older brother, will maintain the current foreign policy aimed at strengthening the country's relations and cooperation with Arab countries in the Gulf, especially regarding regional issues, KTV 1 said.

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The oil-rich country has one of the world's most powerful sovereign wealth funds with a low debt level; it also boasts 7% of global crude reserves.

The country ranks as the seventh-largest exporter of crude oil to China, and over 60 Chinese companies are actively involved in Kuwait, participating in 80 major projects. As of 2022, trade volume between the two nations surged to a historic $31.48 billion.

Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al Sabah, then Kuwait's Crown Prince, made an official visit to China last September, with plans to further strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation between the Gulf nation and Beijing.

The visit saw the signing of a number of vital agreements between the two countries in several fields, as reported earlier by the media outlet.