Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1895 – 24 November 1965,

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

: ) was the eleventh ruler of the

Sheikhdom of Kuwait ) , image_map = kuwait in its region 1913-1922.jpg , image_map_caption = , capital = Kuwait City , latd = , latm = , latNS = , longd = ...

and commander-in-chief of

Kuwait Military Forces The Kuwait Military Forces ( ar, القوات المسلحة الكويتية, Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Kuwaitiyah) are the military forces of the State of Kuwait. They consist of the Kuwait Air Force, the Kuwait Army, the Kuwait Navy & the K ...

from 29 January 1950 to his death in 1965; he became the first Emir of the State of Kuwait after the country gained its independence from Great Britain on 19 June 1961.

Biography

Abdullah was the eldest son of

Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah (; born 1864 – 23 February 1921) was the ninth ruler of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait. He was the second son of Mubarak I and is the ancestor of the Al-Salim branch of the Al-Sabah family. He ruled from 5 February 1917 to ...

. He was the

minister of finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

from 1939 to 1940. He took power after the death of his cousin

Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (1885 – 29 January 1950) ( ar, الشيخ أحمد الجابر الصباح) was the tenth ruler of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait from 29 March 1921 until his death on 29 January 1950. Biography Ahmad was the son of ...

and also ruled as regent upon the death of his father until the election of Sheikh Ahmad. The anniversary of his coronation, 25 February, serves as Kuwait's national day. Unlike his predecessors, Abdullah was more pro-Arab than pro-British. He effectively ended the British "

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...

" status of Kuwait by signing a treaty with the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

on 19 June 1961. He is regarded as the founder of modern Kuwait. He introduced the

Constitution of Kuwait The Constitution of Kuwait ( ar, الدستور الكويتي, ad-distūr al-Kuwayti, ) 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 Sheik ...

in 1962, followed by the

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

in 1963. He is regarded as having been more committed to

constitutionalism Constitutionalism is "a compound of ideas, attitudes, and patterns of behavior elaborating the principle that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law". Political organizations are constitutional ...

and

parliamentary democracy A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

than successive rulers.

Death

Abdullah Al-Salim died on November 24th 1965 after suffering from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

during the opening session of the National Assembly.

Honours and awards

National

Sovereign Grand Master of the Order of National Defense * Military Duty Order (Kuwait)

Sovereign Grand Master of the Military Duty Order

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah 1895 births 1965 deaths Date of birth unknown House of Al-Sabah Rulers of Kuwait Finance ministers of Kuwait Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights of Grace of the Order of St John Honorary Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire 20th-century Kuwaiti people