List of emirs of Kuwait

Emir of Kuwait

Incumbent
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
since 29 January 2006
Details
Style His Highness
Heir apparent The Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Sabah
First monarch Sabah I bin Jaber
Formation 1752
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Kuwait

This is a list of emirs of Kuwait. The Emir (sometimes transliterated as Amir, Amier or Ameer) is the ruler of Kuwait.

Rules and traditions of succession

Succession to the throne of Kuwait is limited to the descendants of Mubarak Al-Sabah. The position of Emir is also traditionally alternated between the two main branches of the Al-Sabah family, the Al-Ahmed and Al-Salem branches. The reigning emir must appoint an heir apparent within one year of his accession to the throne; the nominee for consideration as Crown Prince has to be a senior member of the Al-Sabah family. The nomination needs approval by an absolute majority of members of the National Assembly, Kuwait's parliament. If the nominee fails to win approval from the National Assembly, the Emir submits the names of three eligible members of the family to the National Assembly, and the National Assembly selects one to be the crown prince.

The Prime Minister is appointed by the Emir; however the appointment of the prime minister requires approval from the majority of members of the National Assembly.

The National Assembly

The National Assembly (per article 4 of the Constitution) has the constitutional right to approve and disapprove of an Emir's appointment, therefore the National Assembly has the authority to remove an Emir from his post. The National Assembly effectively removed Saad al-Sabah from his post in 2006 because of Saad's inability to rule due to illness. Kuwait's National Assembly is the most independent parliament in the Arab world,[1] it ranks highly in comparison to other parliaments in the Middle East as a whole.[2]

Emirs of Kuwait (1752–present)

# Name
(birth–death)
Portrait Title(s) Reigned from Reigned until
1 Sabah I bin Jaber
(Sabah I)
(c. 1700–1762)
His Highness
The 1st Ruler of Kuwait
1752 1762
According to the official Kuwaiti sources, Sabah I was unanimously chosen for the position of sheikh.[3][4]
2 Abdullah I Al-Sabah
(Abdullah I)
(1740–1814)
His Highness
The 2nd Ruler of Kuwait
1763 3 May 1814
Youngest son of Sabah I bin Jaber.
3 Jaber I Al-Sabah
(Jaber I)
(1770–1859)
His Highness
The 3rd Ruler of Kuwait
1814 1859
Eldest son of Abdullah I Al-Sabah.
4 Sabah II Al-Sabah
(Sabah II)
(1784/1810–1866)
His Highness
The 4th Ruler of Kuwait
1859 November 1866
Eldest son of Jaber I Al-Sabah.
5 Abdullah II Al-Sabah
(Abdullah II)
(1814–1893)
His Highness
The 5th Ruler of Kuwait
November 1866 1893
Eldest son of Sabah II Al-Sabah.
6 Muhammad Al-Sabah
(Muhammad I)
(1838–1896)
His Highness
The 6th Ruler of Kuwait
May 1893 1896
Second son of Sabah II Al-Sabah.
7 Mubarak Al-Sabah
(Mubarak I)
(1839–1915)
His Highness
The 7th Ruler of Kuwait
18 May 1896 28 November 1915
Son of Sabah II Al-Sabah. Known as "The Great".
8 Jaber II Al-Sabah
(Jaber II)
(1860–1917)
His Highness
The 8th Ruler of Kuwait
28 November 1915 2 February 1917
Eldest son of Mubarak Al-Sabah.
9 Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah
(Salim I)
(1864–1921)
His Highness
The 9th Ruler of Kuwait
5 February 1917 22 February 1921
Second son of Mubarak Al-Sabah.
10 Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
(Ahmad I)
(1885–1950)
His Highness
The 10th Ruler of Kuwait
29 March 1921 29 January 1950
Son of Jaber II Al-Sabah.
Founder of the Kuwait Public Security Force and early stages of the Military of Kuwait.[5]
11 Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah
(Abdullah III)
(1895–1965)
His Highness
The 11th Ruler of Kuwait
The 1st Emir of Kuwait
Commander-in-chief of the Military of Kuwait
29 January 1950 24 November 1965
Eldest son of Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.
Political leader during the Operation Vantage, invoked Section 4 of the independence agreement to request British military intervention.
Introduced the Constitution of Kuwait in 1962. Introduced the National Assembly in 1963.
12 Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah
(Sabah III')
(1913–1977)
His Highness
The 12th Ruler of Kuwait
The 2nd Emir of Kuwait
Commander-in-chief of the Military of Kuwait
24 November 1965 31 December 1977
Youngest son of Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.
1st Minister of Foreign Affairs and political leader during the Six-Day War (1967), the War of Attrition (1967–1970), the 1973 Samita border skirmish and the October War (1973).
13 Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
(Jaber III)
(1926–2006)
His Highness
The 13th Ruler of Kuwait
The 3rd Emir of Kuwait
Commander-in-chief of the Military of Kuwait
31 December 1977 15 January 2006
Third son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
1st Prime Minister of Kuwait and political leader during the Iran–Iraq War, the Invasion of Kuwait and the Gulf War.
14 Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah
(Saad I)
(1930–2008)
His Highness
The 14th Ruler of Kuwait
The 4th Emir of Kuwait
Commander-in-chief of the Military of Kuwait
15 January 2006 24 January 2006
Eldest son of Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah.
1st Minister of Interior and 2nd Minister of Defense. Defense leader during the Six Day War (1967), the War of Attrition (1967–1970), the 1973 Samita border skirmish, the 1973 October War and the Iran–Iraq War.[6]
Military governor and second political leader during the Invasion of Kuwait and Gulf War. Deposed by the National Assembly and abdicated simultaneously due to illness; died on 13 May 2008.
15 Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
(Sabah IV)
(1929–)[7][8]
His Highness
The 15th Ruler of Kuwait
The 5th Emir of Kuwait
Commander-in-chief of the Military of Kuwait
29 January 2006 Incumbent
Fourth son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
2nd Minister of Foreign Affairs (1963–2003) and 2nd Minister of Interior by interim (1978).
Prime Minister (2003–2006).[9]
Honored and decorated by the United Nations for his graceful leadership and exemplary humanitarian mission work with respect to Syrian and Iraqi refugees on September 9, 2014 [10]

See also

References

  1. Nathan J. Brown. "Mechanisms of accountability in Arab governance: The present and future of judiciaries and parliaments in the Arab world" (PDF). pp. 16–18.
  2. Eran Segal. "Kuwait Parliamentary Elections: Women Making History" (PDF). Tel Aviv Notes. p. 1.
  3. Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia, Geographical, Volume 1, Historical Part 1, John Gordon Lorimer,1905, p1000
  4. The Royal Ark
  5. Kuwait National Guard Archives, Award Medal Ceremony in presence of British Officials on February 1944 for His Highness Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah from the British Raj (British Government of India) near the Kuwait Public Security Force Directorate
  6. بالصور والفيديو.. ماذا قدم العرب لمصر في حرب أكتوبر (in Arabic). Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  7. , Honoring Kuwait 2014, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah...A Humanitarian Leader; " His Highness the Amir...His Biography & His Journey"; Retrieved December 17th, 2014
  8. "United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Statements". un.org. Archived from the original on 16 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  9. , Honoring Kuwait 2014, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah...A Humanitarian Leader; " His Highness the Amir...His Biography & His Journey"; Retrieved December 17th, 2014
  10. "Secretary-General's remarks at ceremony recognizing the humanitarian leadership of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Amir of Kuwait". un.org. Archived from the original on 16 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
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