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The House of Al Sabah (Arabic: آل صباح) is 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 Utub. According to a tradition preserved by the Al-Sabah family, the reason why the ancestors of their section and those of the Al-Khalifa section came to Kuwait was that they had been expelled by the Turks from Umm Qasr upon Khor Zubair, an earlier seat from which they had been accustomed to prey as brigands upon the caravans of Basra and as pirates upon the shipping of the Shatt Al Arab [1]. They have ruled Kuwait since 1752 when Sabah I became Sheikh (chief) of Kuwait. Subsequent Sheikhs 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.
The Kuwaiti parliament has a say in the appointment of the Emir. Although customs prohibit the use of such measures, the parliament (as per article 3 of the constitution) has a constitutional right to approve or disapprove of an Emir's appointment. Nonetheless the parliament effectively removed then crown prince Sheikh Saad after the death of Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah in early 2006 due to the first's inability to rule because of illness.
All members of the ruling family receive a monthly stipend from the Amiri Diwan (forum). The Prime Minister is selected by the Emir. Precedents dictate that the Al-Sabahs hold key cabinet posts, such as the Ministry of Defense, the foreign ministry, the ministry of Interior and the office of prime minister.
Sheikh Mubarak seized the leadership of Kuwait from his brothers Sheikh Mohamed and Jarrah after a coup in 1896. The reason being that Sheikh Mohamed was letting power slip from his hands into that of his uncles of the Al-Ibrahim family, amidst tense regional power struggles between the Ottoman and British empires and rivaling rulers from within the peninsula including Iraq.
He was succeeded as ruler by his son Jaber (1915-17) and another son Salem (1917-21). Subsequent Emirs descended from these two brothers. It has become tradition to alternate the post of Emir between these two branches.
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.
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 15 January 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 29 January 2006 and is the current ruler.
On 13 May 2008 the former Emir, Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, died after battling health problems for years. He was buried the following day, in accordance with Muslim traditions. He was 78 years of age.
