Kuwait announced a 40-day mourning period and Prime Minister Sheikh Sa'd al-Abdullah al-Salim al-Sabah cut short his visit to Iran to fly home.

The Emir of Kuwait, Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Ahmad al-Sabah, left for Bahrain later in the day to offer his condolences, Kuwaiti radio reported.

From Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud headed a delegation flying to Manama to express the country's condolences.

Jordan, which only recently grieved over the death of King Hussein, ordered a seven-day mourning period in honour of Sheikh Isa, Jordanian radio reported.

Three-day mourning periods were also declared in Egypt, Lebanon, Libya and Algeria.

'Wisdom and lofty ideals'

From Europe, French President Jacques Chirac expressed his ''strong emotion'' and ''deep sadness'' at the news of Sheikh Isa's death, saying the emir had given his country ''an exceptional image of moderation, tolerance and modernity''.

''The world remembers the wisdom of his decisions and the loftiness of his ideals,'' Mr Chirac added.

French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine echoed his sentiments in comments he made in Abu Dhabi, where he was holding meetings as part of a tour of the Gulf.

''I learnt with great sadness of the death of the emir of Bahrain, a public figure whose wisdom was acknowledged,'' he said.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain also sent a message of sympathy.

Iran's President Mohammad Khatami expressed his sorrow in a message to the new emir, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported.

And Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi sent his condolences to his Bahraini counterpart Sheikh Muhammad Bin Mubarak al-Khalifa.