The ruler of oil exporter Kuwait, Emir Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah, has suffered a brain haemorrhage and will be flown to Britain for treatment, an official statement said today.
But the palace statement said the emir (73) was fully conscious and not in intensive care. A steady flow of officials and members of the ruling al-Sabah family were seen entering the Emiri Hospital in Kuwait City.
"The emir suffered an ailment which led to his admission to hospital with a brain haemorrhage," the statement said, adding he would be flown to Britain later today.
The emir was admitted to hospital this morning. Several senior ministers and ruling family members were returning home from official visits abroad, officials said.
Sheikh Jaber has been in power since 1978 in the OPEC member state, which sits on almost 10 per cent of the world's oil reserves.
He fled to Saudi Arabia in August 1990 when Iraqi troops invaded his small, pro-Western country and occupied it for seven months.