House of Sabah

The House of Sabah (Arabic: آل صباح‎ Āl Ṣubāḥ) is the ruling family of Kuwait. The family originated from the Utub federation.

The Emir of Kuwait is the head of state. He is nominated by a family council headed by prominent members of the family. The Kuwaiti parliament has the constitutional right to approve and disapprove of an Emir's appointment under Article 4 of the Constitution of Kuwait, therefore the parliament has the authority to remove an Emir from his post. The parliament effectively removed Saad al-Sabah from his post in 2006 due to his illness.

The crown prince has to be a senior member of the House of Sabah. He is nominated by a family council headed by prominent members of the family. The appointment of a crown prince requires approval by an absolute majority of the members of the Kuwaiti parliament, the National Assembly. If the new crown prince fails to win approval from the National Assembly, the Emir submits three eligible members of the family for consideration, and the National Assembly selects one to be the crown prince. The National Assembly also determines the Emir's salary.^[1]

Rulers

• 1st Ruler: HH Sheikh Sabah I bin Jaber: 1752–1762
• 2nd Ruler: HH Sheikh Abdullah I: 1763–1814
• 3rd Ruler: HH Sheikh Jaber I: 1814–1859
• 4th Ruler: HH Sheikh Sabah II: 1859–1866
• 5th Ruler: HH Sheikh Abdallah II: 1866–1893
• 6th Ruler: HH Sheikh Muhammad Al-Sabah: 1893–1896
• 7th Ruler: HH Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah: 1896–1915
• 8th Ruler: HH Sheikh Jaber II: 1915–1917
• 9th Ruler: HH Sheikh Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah: 1917–1921
• 10th Ruler: HH Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah: 1921–1950
• 11th Ruler HH 1st Emir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah: 1950–1965
• 12th Ruler HH 2nd Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah: 1965–1977
• 13th Ruler HH 3rd Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah: 1977–2006
• 14th Ruler HH 4th Emir Sheikh Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah: (15 January 2006 – 29 January 2006)
• 15th Ruler HH 5th Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Sabah: (2006–present)

Dean of the House

• Chieftain, His Highness Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah (b. 1926)^[2][3]

Governing branches

Succession to the throne of Kuwait is limited to the descendants of Mubarak Al-Sabah. The reigning emir must appoint an heir apparent within one year of his accession to the throne; the nomination needs approval by the majority of members of Kuwait's parliament, the National Assembly. If the new crown prince fails to win approval from the National Assembly, the Emir submits three eligible members of the family for consideration, and the National Assembly selects one to be the crown prince.

The Crown Prince has to be a senior member of the House of Sabah. The position of Emir is also traditionally alternated between the two main branches of the House of Sabah, the Al-Ahmed and Al-Salem branches. 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 parliament.

Chieftain Sheikhs of the House of Sabah have been leading the Military of Kuwait since the early establishment of defense infantry and cavalry forces.^[4][5][6] Since the forming of the first cabinet on 17 January 1962, all three of the defense ministry, interior ministry and ministry of foreign affairs of Kuwait have been led by members of the House of Sabah.^[7] By government protocol, defense, interior and foreign affairs ministers are deputy prime ministers of Kuwait; unlike the defense protocol minister of the Kuwait National Guard.

Lineage

SABAH I, 1st Ruler Sheikh (1716-64)

ABDULLAH I, 2nd Ruler Sheikh (1764–1814)

JABER I, 3rd Ruler Sheikh (1814–59)

SABAH II, 4th Ruler Sheikh (1859–66)

ABDULLAH II, 5th Ruler Sheikh (1866–92)

MOHAMMED, 6th Ruler Sheikh (1892–96)

MUBARAK, Mubarak The Great 7th Ruler Sheikh (1896–1915)

JABER II, 8th Ruler Sheikh (1915–17)

SALEM, 9th Ruler Sheikh (1917–21)

AHMAD, 10th Ruler (Sheikh 1921–50)

Humoud

ABDULLAH III, 11th Ruler, 1st Emir (1950–65)

SABAH III, 12th Ruler, 2nd Emir (1965–77) 1st Foreign Minister

Mohammed Ahmad Jaber II, 1st Defense Minister

JABER III, 13th Ruler, 3rd Emir, (1977–2006)

SABAH IV, 15th Ruler, 5th Emir,(2006– present) 2nd Foreign Minister 2nd Interior Minister

Nawaf, Crown Prince 3rd Interior Minister 4th Defense Minister 1st National Guard Deputy

Ahmad, 5th Interior Minister 11th Interior Minister

SAAD, 14th Ruler, 4th Emir, 2006 1st Interior Minister 2nd Defense Minister

Mohammad Al-Sabah, 3rd Foreign Minister

Nasser, 6th Prime Minister 2006–2011

See also

• Government of Kuwait
• Politics of Kuwait

Publications

• Al Sabah: History and Genealogy of Kuwait’s Ruling Family 1752-1987 by Alan Rush (Ithaca Press, 1987)
• Burke’s Ruling Families of the World, Volume 2 (Burke’s Peerage, 1980), includes genealogies and essays on Al-Sabah (Kuwait)
• Records of Kuwait ed., Alan Rush (8 vols. Archive Editions, 1989)

References

1. Robert F. Worth (2008). "In Democracy Kuwait Trusts, but Not Much". New York Times.
2. "KUWAIT NATIONAL GUARD - الحرس الوطني الكويتي -". kng.gov.kw.
3. "KUWAIT NATIONAL GUARD - الحرس الوطني الكويتي -". kng.gov.kw.
4. "KUWAIT NATIONAL GUARD - الحرس الوطني الكويتي -". kng.gov.kw.
5. YouTube. youtube.com.
6. "KUWAIT NATIONAL GUARD - الحرس الوطني الكويتي -". kng.gov.kw.
7. "Nine ministers headed Interior Ministry since Kuwaits independence". KUNA. 7 February 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2013.

• Article listing positions of a few Sabah's