Results showed on Friday that Opposition lawmakers maintained a majority in Kuwait's parliament, after the Gulf state's third parliamentary vote held just months into the new emir's reign.

Opposition candidates won 29 seats in the 50-member assembly, matching the outcome of last year's election.

The make-up of the new parliament is very similar to the outgoing one, with all but 11 lawmakers retaining their seats.

Parliamentary elections have become an annual occurrence for the OPEC member, which has seven percent of the world's oil reserves and the monarchical Gulf's most powerful elected assembly.

Meanwhile, clashes between the national assembly and the royal-appointed cabinet have caused constant stalemate, delaying much-needed reforms.

The recent election was the first to be held under the new emir, Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

Information ministry said turnout was around 62 percent after polling stations closed at midnight.

Sheikh Meshal, formerly the world's oldest crown prince, came to power aged 83 in December after the death of his half-brother and predecessor, Sheikh Nawaf.

He took aim at both the cabinet and parliament in his inaugural speech to the assembly, before announcing an era of "reform" as he picked Kuwait's first foreign minister from outside the ruling family.

In February, the national assembly was dissolved once again, a royal decree accusing it of constitutional violations including "offensive and inappropriate language", after a lawmaker responded to the emir's criticism.