Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 15th Ruler and 5th Emir of Kuwait

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Sheikh_Sabah_IV

Sabah IV bin Ahmad Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait; Credit – Wikipedia

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 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 family members. The Crown Prince of Kuwait, who must be a senior member of the House of Al-Sabah, is also nominated by the family council. The Kuwaiti parliament must approve both the Emir and the Crown Prince.

Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was born on June 16, 1929 in Kuwait City, Kuwait. He was the son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 10th Ruler of Kuwait from 1944 – 1950, and Munira Al-Ayyar of Jahra. Sabah’s father had ten wives and 24 children.

Sabah had one full sister Sheikha Al-Anoud Al-Ahmad. His prominent half-siblings include:

Sabah’s early education began at the Al Mubarakiyya School, established in 1911 as one of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions. He then completed his education with private tutors.

Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah married his cousin Sheikha Fatuwah bint Salman al-Sabah, who died in 1990. The couple had three sons and one daughter:

  • Sheikh Nasser (1948 – 2020)
  • Sheikh Hamed
  • Sheikh Ahmed, died in a car accident in 1969
  • Sheikha Salwa (1951-2002), died of breast cancer

Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah was Foreign Minister of Kuwait between 1963 and 2003. In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and afterward, the Gulf War was fought. Sabah was involved in restoring the country after the Iraqi invasion. On July 13, 2003, Sabah became Prime Minister of Kuwait.

Sheik Sabah_Obama

Sabah IV bin Ahmad Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait meets with President Barack Obama at the White House in 2013; Photo Credit – http://www.whitehouse.gov

On January 15, 2006, Jaber III al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, who was the half-brother of Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah died. The new Emir of Kuwait was Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, the eldest son of Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, who ruled Kuwait from 1950 to 1965. However, after a nine-day reign, Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, who suffered from colon cancer, abdicated. 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 Sheikh Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah to take over as Emir as expected.

Sabah was a respected regional and international mediator due in part to his leadership in the Gulf Cooperation Council and his forty years of service as Foreign Minister and Prime Minister. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called Sabah a “global humanitarian leader”, saying, “His support of disaster relief, peace efforts, and advancing public health are an inspiration. Other world leaders can learn from the wise example set by my friend, His Highness the Emir.”

In July 2020, Emir Sabah was flown to the United States for medical treatment following surgery for an unspecified condition in Kuwait earlier that month. Sabah IV bin Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait died at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on September 29, 2020, at the age of 91, due to long-term health issues.  His 83-year-old half-brother Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed was named by the cabinet as his successor.

The mourners, led by Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah of Kuwait perform the funeral prayer over the body of the late Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at Bilal bin Rabah Mosque; Credit – https://www.alkhaleejtoday.co/

Typically tens of thousands of mourning Kuwaitis and many foreign leaders and dignitaries would have attended Emir Sabah’s funeral. However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the burial was a private service restricted to relatives. Emir Sabah was buried in Sulaibikhat Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Kuwait, alongside his relatives, after prayers at Bilal bin Rabah Mosque in Kuwait City where all mourners wore face masks.

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