Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait; Credit – Wikipedia

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait reigned for only nine days in January 2006 before abdicating due to illness. Originally a sheikhdom ruled by local sheikhs, Kuwait became a British Protectorate in 1899. The sheikhs still had power during the British Protectorate. Kuwait was granted independence in 1961 and Saad’s father Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 11th Ruler of Kuwait became the first Emir of Kuwait. The rulers of Kuwait belong to the House of Al-Sabah.

The Emir of Kuwait is nominated by a family council headed by prominent members of the family. The Crown Prince of Kuwait is also nominated by the family council and must be a senior member of the House of Al-Sabah. Both the Emir and the Crown Prince must be approved by the Kuwaiti parliament.

Born in 1930 in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah was the son of Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1895 – 1965), the 11th Ruler and 1st Emir of Kuwait and Jamila, “an African lady.” His father married four times and Saad had two half-brothers and three half-sisters.

Saad was educated at the Al-Mubarakiya School in Kuwait City, established in 1911 as one of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions. He then attended the Hendon Police College in Hendon, England, the principal training center for London’s Metropolitan Police Service.

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Crown Prince Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah (left) and Emir Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah (right) on November 05, 1991

On February 16, 1978, the family council named Saad the Crown Prince of Kuwait. He also held the following positions:

  • Deputy Chief of Kuwait City Police (1954-1959)
  • Member of the Supreme Council (1955-1961)
  • Deputy Director of the Police and Public Security Department (1959-1961)
  • President of the Police and Public Security Department (1961-1962)
  • Minister of the Interior (1962-1978)
  • Minister of Defence (1965-1978)
  • Prime Minister and President Council of Ministers (1978-1991, 1992-2003)
  • President of the Supreme Defence Council, the Supreme Petroleum Council, the Civil Service Commission, and the Higher Council of Housing

President Ronald Reagan during a working visit at the White House of Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sabah of Kuwait on July 12, 1988; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1948, Saad married Latifa bint Fahad Al-Sabah, daughter of his uncle Fahad bin Salim Al-Sabah. Saad and Latifah had five daughters and one son:

  • Mariam bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1949 – 1994), unmarried, died in a car accident
  • Hussa bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1950), married and divorced Badr bin Nasir Al-Sabah, had one son
  • Jamayal bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1952), married (1) ‘Abdu’l-Halim Chamma, had one daughter, divorced (2) Shahzada Masud Mirza, no children
  • Shekha bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1954 – 2003), unmarried, died from cancer
  • Fadia bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1959), married (1) Fahad bin Salim Al-Sabah, no children, divorced (2) Salman bin Sabah Al-Salim Al-Hamud Al-Sabah, has one son and three daughters
  • Fahad bin Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1960), married Mana’al bint Muhammad Al-Wazzan, had five sons and one daughter

In April 1997, Saad suffered from internal hemorrhaging which required surgery. He then went to the United Kingdom for tests and treatment, returning to Kuwait in October 1997. However, his health continued to be a problem and he needed to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He eventually developed colon issues and was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Saad’s health issues led to speculation that he might abdicate his position as Crown Prince, however, a statement issued in November 2005 contradicted these speculations. Upon the death of Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait on January 15, 2006, Saad became the 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait. When Saad was seen in a wheelchair at Jaber’s funeral, his fitness to be Emir of Kuwait was questioned by members of the Kuwaiti parliament. An internal discussion within the Kuwaiti royal family made Saad decide to abdicate. On January 24, 2006, the Kuwaiti parliament voted Saad out of office, moments before an official letter of abdication was received. The Kuwait Cabinet nominated Prime Minister Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah to take over as Emir as expected.

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait died on May 13, 2008, at the age of 78, at Shaab Palace in Kuwait City, Kuwait. He was buried at the Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Kuwait.

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Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery

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Works Cited

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. سعد العبد الله السالم الصباح. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%B9%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AD> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saad_Al-Salim_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saad_Al-Abdullah_Al-Salim_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Royal Ark: Kuwait Royal Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Kuwait/kuwait16.htm> [Accessed 24 August 2020].