Kuwait

Kuwait, 1961 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed

Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia. The protectorate agreements with the United Kingdom ended in June 1961 when Kuwait officially became an independent state. In 1990, the state of Kuwait was invaded, had a puppet regime installed, and was subsequently annexed by Ba'athist Iraq under the leadership of Saddam Hussein following disputes over oil production. The Iraqi occupation of Kuwait ended on 26 February 1991, after a U.S.–led international coalition expelled Iraqi forces from the country during the Gulf War.

Seat of power: Kuwait City

Rulers

Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah

emir of Kuwait, 1950–1965

Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah was the eleventh ruler of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait from 1950 to 1961 and the first Emir of the State of Kuwait after independence from Great Britain on 19 June 1961. He introduced the Constitution of Kuwait in 1962, followed by the Parliament in 1963.

Portrait of Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah: Egyptian Photographer working for the Egyptian Government, Public domain, file

Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah

emir of Kuwait, 1965–1977

Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah was the Emir of Kuwait from 24 November 1965 until his death in 1977. He suspended parliament in late August 1976 for four years, claiming it was acting against the nation.

Portrait of Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah: Iran post, Public domain, file

Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah

emir of Kuwait, 1977–2006

Jaber's reign oversaw the transition of a relatively traditional society into a modernized state. He also led Kuwait through the Gulf War, defeating Ba'athist Iraq and Saddam Hussein with the support of the United States.

Portrait of Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah: MFRK1, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

emir of Kuwait, 2006–2020

Before becoming Emir of Kuwait, Sabah was the foreign minister from 1963 to 2003, making him the longest-serving foreign minister in the world at the time of leaving office, and the second longest-serving so far. As foreign minister, Sabah restored Kuwaiti international relations after the Gulf War.

Portrait of Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah: Presidential Executive Office of Russia, CC BY 4.0, file

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah

emir of Kuwait, 2006–2006

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.

Portrait of Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah: Md. Lutfar Rahman Binu, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

emir of Kuwait, 2020–2023

Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was Emir of Kuwait from 2020 until his death in 2023. During his three-year rule as emir, he grappled with internal political disputes.

Portrait of Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah: Cancillería Argentina, CC BY 2.0, file

Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

emir of Kuwait, 2023 to today

Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is Emir of Kuwait, reigning since 2023. Mishal spent most of his career in Kuwait's security and intelligence apparatus.

Portrait of Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah: Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India, file

Culture

Kuwait is an emirate; the emir is the head of state and the ruling Al Sabah family dominates the country's political system.
As of 2024, Kuwait has a population of 4.82 million, of which 1.53 million are Kuwaiti citizens while the remaining 3.29 million are foreign nationals from over 100 countries.
Prior to the discovery of oil reserves in 1938, the territory of modern-day Kuwait contained a regional trade port.

Picture

The Kuwait Towers are a group of three thin towers in Kuwait City, standing on a promontory into the Persian Gulf.

Image: Richard Bartz, CC-BY-SA-3.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.