Sheikha Fareeha Al-Sabah is pictured with children at a cancer hospital in Egypt. - KUNA

KUWAIT: The Amiri Diwan yesterday mourned Sheikha Fareeha Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, widow of Sheikh Rashed Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. In the early hours of yesterday, Kuwait mourned the death of Sheikha Fareeha, President of the Kuwait Association for the Ideal Family, who passed away at the age of 74. Sheikha Fareeha was the daughter of the late His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the tenth ruler of Kuwait, and the sister of both His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as well as His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of Kuwait. She was born on February 15, 1944 at Dasman Palace and married her cousin Sheikh Rashed Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, with whom she had four children, Sheikha Reem, Sheikha Bibi, Sheikh Humoud and Sheikh Ahmad.

Sheikha Fareeha was known for her passion for charitable and social work, as well as her dedication to family issues and women's rights in particular. The Kuwait Association for the Ideal Family, which she heads, launched the 'Ideal Mother Award for Outstanding Family' in 2004, to encourage a healthy and safe family environment. She never forgot youth and their important role in society as she tried to spread awareness about the dangers that surround them, later ascending to the helm of Al-Fatat Sport Club in 2010.

Sheikha Fareeha was also named as the 'Mother of the Disabled', for her efforts and contributions in urging the government to issue new laws and regulations that help integrate people with disabilities into society, ultimately preserving their rights. The late Sheikha Fareeha has won many honorary awards as a pioneer in human works from the Gulf region, including being honored by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs .In 2008, she earned an honorary doctorate from the American University in Athens for her outstanding humanitarian and voluntary efforts, while she was appointed the Head of the Kuwaiti Arab Research Centre three years earlier. Meanwhile, being honored by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Egypt was also among her accolades. In 2007, South Korea named her a 'pioneer in philanthropic works.' - KUNA