House of Al-Sabah
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The House of Al-Sabah (Arabic: الصباح) are the ruling family of Kuwait. They are a clan from the Anizah tribe, which migrated to Kuwait in the early eighteenth century from Najd (current day Saudi Arabia). After reaching Kuwait, they entered under the umbrella of the Bani Utbah. They have ruled Kuwait since 1752 when Sabah I became Shaikh (chief) of Kuwait. Subsequent Shaikhs are the descendants of Sabah I. The sons of Sabah I are Salman, Mohammad, Mubarak, Malich and Abdullah.
The Emir of Kuwait is the head of the executive branch. He is nominated by a family council, headed by the most senior and prominent members of the Al-Sabah. The leadership is not strictly hereditary, and although many Emirs have succeeded their fathers, the family chooses the leader from each succeeding generation. For example, the late Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah appointed his cousin Sheikh Saad as Heir Apparent.
All members of the ruling family receive a monthly stipend (Which has doubled since Sheikh Sabah became Emir) from the Amiri Diwan (forum), and a yearly bonus.[citation needed] The Al-Sabah members also get paid a bonus if they marry within the family.[citation needed] The Prime Minister is selected by the Emir, and must be a member of the Al-Sabah Family. The Al-Sabah's also hold most of the key cabinet posts, such as Minister of Defense, Foreign Minister, and Minister of Interior.
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[edit] The two main branches
Sheikh Mubarak seized the leadership of Kuwait from his brother Sheikh Mohamed through assassinating his brother (Mohamed sixth emir of Kuwait) in 1896. The main excuse used was that Sheikh Mohamed was letting power slip from his hands into that of his uncles from the Al-Ibrahim clan, and that he was unable to cleverly play the clashing Ottoman and British empires against each other the way Mubarak did. He was succeeded as ruler by his son Jaber (1915-17) and another son Salem (1917-21). Subsequent Emirs descended from these two brothers and there has often been tension between the two branches (the Al-Jaber branch and the Al-Salem branch respectively). For this reason, it has become tradition to alternate the post of Emir between the two; the recent appointment of Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah as Crown Prince by the current Emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Sabah has created some disputes as both are of the Al-Jaber branch of the family[1]. To further the conflict, Sheikh Saad Al-Sabah of the Al-Salem branch ruled only briefly, being preceded and succeeded by members of the Al-Jaber branches[2].
[edit] Current events
Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah was removed by parliamentary action after a prolonged stalemate following the death of the previous Emir Jaber on Jan 15, 2006. He was earlier offered the chance to abdicate after taking power provisionally as stipulated by the constitution, but his inability to recite the oath of office prevented his ratification by parliament.
The then prime minister, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was nominated for the post of Emir by invoking Article 3 of the Kuwaiti constitution. He was sworn in on January 29, 2006 and is the current ruler.
The Emir appointed his brother, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as Crown Prince. The Emir also appointed his nephew, Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah as Prime Minister.
On May 13, 2008 the former Emir, Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, passed away after battling health problems for years. He was buried the following day, in accordance with Muslim traditions. He was 78 years of age.
[edit] Other
Every member of the ruling family is often locally referred to as Sheikh if male or Sheikha if female, and this title is put in front of members' first names as honorifics.
[edit] Al-Sabah Dynasty
- Sheikh Sabah I bin Jaber (1752-1762)
- Sheikh Abdullah I Al-Sabah (1762-3 May 1814)
- Sheikh Jaber I Al-Sabah (1814-1859)
- Sheikh Sabah II Al-Sabah (1859-Nov 1866)
- Sheikh Abdullah II Al-Sabah (Nov 1866 - May 1892)
- Sheikh Muhammad Al-Sabah (May 1892 - 17 May 1896), assassinated by successor
- Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, "the Great" (18 May 1896 - 28 Nov 1915)
- Sheikh Jaber II Al-Sabah (28 Nov 1915 - 5 Feb 1917)
- Sheikh Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah (5 Feb 1917 - 22 Feb 1921)
- Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (22 Feb 1921 - 29 Jan 1950)
- Sheikh Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (29 Jan 1950 - 24 Nov 1965 became Emir on 19 Jun 1961)
- Emir Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (24 Nov 1965 - 31 Dec 1977)
- Emir Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (31 Dec 1977 - 15 Jan 2006)
- Emir Saad I Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (15 Jan 2006 - 24 Jan 2006), abdicated due to illness
- Emir Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (29 Jan 2006 - )
*The heir-apparent is the Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
[edit] Other notable members of al-Sabah
- Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait.
- Salem Al Ali Al Sabah, Chief of the National Guard.
- Muhammad Al-Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.
- Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense.
- Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Director of National Security.
- Hussa Al-Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Director of Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiya (Kuwait Museum of Islamic Art).
- Saud bin Nasir Al-Sabah former Kuwait ambassador to U.S
- Salem Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah 1938 - 2007 former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Interior, Social Affairs and Foreign Minister.
- Jaber Al-Khaled Al-Sabah Minister of the Interior.
