Crown Prince of Kuwait | |
---|---|
ولي العهد الكويت | |
Incumbent | |
Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah since 2 June 2024 | |
Details | |
Style | His Highness |
Formation | 29 October 1962 |
Residence | Bayan Palace |
The Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait is the heir apparent to the Emir of Kuwait. Under Article 4 of the Constitution of Kuwait, this position can only be held by the descendants of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, and must be designated within a year of the Emir's accession. This designation is given effect by a combination of the Emir's nomination, and its approval by the National Assembly, as signified by a majority vote of its members in a special sitting. [1] [2] If this does not happen, the Constitution requires the Emir to nominate three descendants of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, of whom the National Assembly will pledge allegiance to one as the Crown Prince or heir apparent. To be appointed, the nominee must also have attained the age of majority, be of sound mind, and be the legitimate son of Muslim parents. [2] [3]
There are three successional customs which influence the choice of Crown Prince. First, the pick alternates between descendants of two of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah's sons: Jaber II Al-Sabah and Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah (until 2006). Second, the Crown Prince is chosen by the Family Council, from among other elder members of the royal family. Third, the matter of succession is a family affair and kept secret. As such, it is not open to public debate. [3]
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
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Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah
| 64) | 12 April 1913 – 31 December 1977 (aged29 October 1962 | 24 November 1965 | Youngest son of Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah | Al Sabah | |
Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
| 79) | 29 June 1926 – 15 January 2006 (aged31 May 1966 | 31 December 1977 | Third son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | Al Sabah | |
Sheikh Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah [lower-alpha 1]
| 1930 – 13 May 2008 (aged 77–78) | 18 February 1978 | 15 January 2006 | Eldest son of Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah | Al Sabah | |
Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
| 86) | 25 June 1937 - 16 December 2023 (aged20 February 2006 | 29 September 2020 | Sixth son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | Al Sabah | |
Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
| 27 September 1940 | 8 October 2020 | 16 December 2023 | Seventh son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | Al Sabah | |
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah
| 3 March 1953 | 2 June 2024 | Incumbent | Great grandson of Mubarak Al-Sabah | Al Sabah |
Member State of the Arab League |
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Constitution |
Kuwaitportal |
The House of Sabah is the ruling family of Kuwait.
The emir of the State of Qatar is the monarch and head of state of the country. The emir is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and guarantor of the Constitution. The emir holds the most powerful position in the country, and has a prominent role in foreign relations.
The emir of the State of Kuwait is the monarch and head of state of Kuwait, and is the country's most powerful office. The emirs of Kuwait are members of the Al Sabah dynasty.
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Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was Emir of Kuwait from 2020 until his death in 2023.
The Constitution of Kuwait was created by the Constitutional Assembly in 1961–1962 and signed into law on 11 November 1962 by the Emir, the Commander of the Military of Kuwait Sheikh Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah.
Kuwait is an emirate with an autocratic political system. The Emir of Kuwait, a hereditary monarch from the Al Sabah ruling family appoints the prime minister and other members of government, as well as members of judicial, police and financial institutions.
Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah is a Kuwaiti royal and politician who served as the prime minister of Kuwait from 2011 to 2019. He previously served as minister of defense as well as deputy prime minister. In April 2021 a Kuwaiti court ordered his detention on corruption charges.
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was the Emir of Kuwait from 24 January 2006 until his death in 2020.
Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah was the Emir of Kuwait from 15 January 2006, succeeding Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, until abdicating nine days later on 24 January. Prior to that he had been Prime Minister of Kuwait from 1978 to 2006.
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Sheikh Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was a member of the House of Sabah and one of the first Kuwaitis to attain the military rank of lieutenant general. He was one of the first Kuwaitis to be commissioned as an officer by the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK, and the first Kuwaiti to receive an Amiri Decree for appointment as Chief of the General Staff. Mubarak initiated joint training of Kuwait Armed Forces and United States Armed Forces in 1977 and, the following year, was the first military officer to establish conscription.
Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense of Kuwait, and before that he was the head of the Amiri Diwan in 2006–2017. Nasser was the eldest son of the hereditary ruler or Emir of Kuwait, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (1929–2020). Prior to his death in December 2020, just seventy-two days after his father's death, Nasser was identified as a leading candidate to become the Crown Prince of Kuwait, or the heir apparent. He was a key figure in Kuwait's Vision 2035 plan, which included a planned city in northern Kuwait dubbed "Silk City".
Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the Emir of Kuwait. Mishal spent most of his career in Kuwait's security and intelligence apparatus. Prior to becoming Emir at age 83, he was the oldest crown prince in the world.
Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah is a Kuwaiti politician and military officer who served as the Prime Minister of Kuwait from 24 July 2022 until his resignation on 20 December 2023. He is the eldest son of Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the former Emir of Kuwait.
Events in the year 2023 in Kuwait.
Events in the year 2024 in Kuwait.
The Kuwaiti political gridlock, which extended from 2020 to May 2024, was marked by a persistent standoff between the appointed cabinet and the elected parliament in Kuwait. This crisis was set against a backdrop of successive internal succession crises within the ruling Al Sabah family, beginning with the death of Emir Sabah Al Ahmad in 2020. Leadership transitioned to his half-brother Nawaf, who died in 2023, subsequently elevating Mishal Al Sabah to the role of emir. After June 1, 2024, Mishal, the last surviving member of his generation and a son of Ahmad Al Jaber Al-Sabah, appointed a successor, marking an end to the political gridlock and feuding within the ruling family.