House of Al Sabah
The House of Al Sabah (Arabic: آل صباح Āl Ṣubāḥ) is the ruling family of Kuwait.
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| House of Al Sabah آل صباح | |
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Emblem and Flag of Kuwait | |
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| Parent house | Bani Utbah |
| Country | Kuwait |
| Founded | c. 1752 |
| Founder | Sabah I |
| Current head | Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber |
| Titles | |
| Traditions | Islam (Sunni) |
History
The family originated from the Jamil branch of the Anza family[1] and part of the Utub federation.
They lived in Al Hadar and Al Aflage in Najd until they were drove out of the region by their cousins.[1] Then they settled in south Kuwait, namely the Qurain region, in around 1714.[1]
Emir
The Emir of Kuwait is the head of state. He is nominated by a family council headed by prominent members of the family. The National Assembly 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.
Crown Prince
The crown prince has to be a senior member of the House. 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.[2]
Rulers
- 1st Ruler: Sheikh Sabah I bin Jaber: 1752–1762
- 2nd Ruler: Sheikh Abdullah I: 1762–1814
- 3rd Ruler: Sheikh Jaber I: 1814–1859
- 4th Ruler: Sheikh Sabah II: 1859–1866
- 5th Ruler: Sheikh Abdallah II: 1866–1893
- 6th Ruler: Sheikh Muhammad Al-Sabah: 1893–1896
- 7th Ruler: Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah: 1896–1915
- 8th Ruler: Sheikh Jaber II: 1915–1917
- 9th Ruler: Sheikh Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah: 1917–1921
- 10th Ruler: Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah: 1921–1950
- 11th Ruler 1st Emir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah: 1950–1965
- 12th Ruler 2nd Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah: 1965–1977
- 13th Ruler 3rd Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah: 1977–2006
- 14th Ruler 4th Emir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah: (15–29 January 2006)
- 15th Ruler 5th Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah: (2006–2020)
- 16th Ruler 6th Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah: (2020–present)
Dean of the House
- Chieftain, Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah (b. 1926)[3][4]
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.[5][6][7] 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.[8] 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
See also
References
- Hamad Ibrahim Abdul Rahman Al Tuwaijri (1996). "Political power and rule in Kuwait" (PhD Thesis). Glasgow University. p. 6. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- Robert F. Worth (2008). "In Democracy Kuwait Trusts, but Not Much". New York Times.
- "KUWAIT NATIONAL GUARD - الحرس الوطني الكويتي -". kng.gov.kw.
- "Kuwait National Guard - الحرس الوطني الكويتي -". kng.gov.kw. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- "Kuwait National Guard - الحرس الوطني الكويتي -". kng.gov.kw. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- YouTube. youtube.com.
- "Kuwait National Guard - الحرس الوطني الكويتي -". kng.gov.kw. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- "Nine ministers headed Interior Ministry since Kuwaits independence". KUNA. 7 February 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
External links
- kuwait-info.com
- 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)