Sheikh Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...

Jaber al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (29 June 1926 – 15 January 2006) ( ar, الشيخ جابر الأحمد الجابر الصباح, translit=ash-Shaykh Jābir al-ʾAḥmad al-Jābir aṣ-Ṣabāḥ) was

Emir of Kuwait The Emir of the State of Kuwait is the monarch and head of state of Kuwait, the country's most powerful office. The emirs of Kuwait are members of the Al Sabah dynasty. Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah became the emir of Kuwait on 30 Sept ...

and

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

of the

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 31 December 1977 until his death in 2006. The third monarch to rule Kuwait since its

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

from

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

, Jaber had previously served as minister of finance and economy from 1962 to 1965 when he was appointed

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

prior to becoming Kuwait's ruler. He was the 13th ruler in the family dynasty.

Early life and education

Jaber was born on 29 June 1926 in

Kuwait City Kuwait City ( ar, مدينة الكويت) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economical centre of the emirate, ...

. He was the third son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Jaber received his early education at Al-Mubarakiya School, Al-Ahmediya School, and Al-Sharqiya School, and was subsequently tutored privately in English,

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 ...

, religion and the sciences. His brother

Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (10 August 1945 – 2 August 1990) ( ar, الشيخ فهد الأحمد الجابر الصباح ) was a member of the House of Sabah and a Kuwaiti military officer who was also the founder of the Asia ...

was killed in 1990 in the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

in front of Dasman Palace.

Career

Early career

In 1962, he was appointed as Kuwait's

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", " ...

when the ministry was established. In this position, Jaber was tasked with putting the new

Kuwaiti dinar The Kuwaiti dinar ( ar, دينار كويتي, code: KWD) is the currency of Kuwait. It is sub-divided into 1,000 fils. As of 2022, the Kuwaiti dinar is the currency with the highest value per base unit, with KD 1 equalling US$3.32, ahead ...

into circulation and establishing the Kuwaiti Currency Board, of which he was the chair. As minister, Jaber adopted, and was the first chairman of, the

Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), commonly known as the Kuwait Fund, is the State of Kuwait’s agency for the provision and administration of financial and technical assistance to developing countries. History and profile F ...

from 1962 to 1964. The Fund provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries. The country's oil revenues transformed it from a largely rural seafaring society to a modern state. During this time, the Fund expanded to aid five countries and gave loans to another eight."Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development – Timeline. Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development – Timeline"
2009. Retrieved 30 November 2009. The money going into the fund came from oil earnings. After Iraq claimed sovereignty over Kuwait in 1961, following independence from Great Britain, Al-Sabah led a delegation to the

Arab League The Arab League ( ar, الجامعة العربية, ' ), formally the League of Arab States ( ar, جامعة الدول العربية, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world, which is located in Northern Africa, Western Africa, E ...

to resolve the issue. The United Kingdom informed Iraqi Prime Minister

Abd al-Karim Qasim Abd al-Karim Qasim Muhammad Bakr al-Fadhli al-Zubaidi ( ar, عبد الكريم قاسم ' ) (21 November 1914 – 9 February 1963) was an Iraqi Army brigadier and nationalist who came to power when the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown ...

that it would militarily assist Kuwait in the event of military action, leading to

Operation Vantage Operation Vantage was a British military operation in 1961 to support the newly independent state of Kuwait against territorial claims by its neighbour, Iraq. The UK reacted to a call for protection from Sheikh Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah of Kuw ...

. Iraq recognised Kuwait's independence in 1963, though it disputed the borders.

Iran–Iraq War

Kuwait found itself geographically in the middle of the

Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Council ...

that took place from 1980 to 1988. Throughout the war, the country suffered from many security threats, including a series of bombings. In 1986, one year after an attack on Jaber's motorcade, there was an attack on an oil installation, which almost caused the shutdown of Kuwait's oil industry.Zahlan, Rosemarie Said. ''Making of the Modern Persian Gulf States: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman''. London: Unwin Hyman, 1989. Print. p. 44

Gulf War II {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

Some sources claim that the task of the invading Iraqi forces was to capture or kill Jaber.Ibrahim, Youssef M
"Confrontation in the Gulf: Man in the News; The Exiled Emir: Sheikh Jaber AL-Ahmad AL-Saber AL-Sarah"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', 26 September 1996. Retrieved 16 November 2009http://www.da.gov.kw/neg/incandescent/amphetamine Sheikh Saad Al- Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the 14th Ruler and 4th Emir However, such a claimed plan was not possible with the exile of Jaber and his government to Saudi Arabia within hours of the invasion where they ran the Kuwaiti exiled government from a hotel in

Ta'if Taif ( ar, , translit=aṭ-Ṭāʾif, lit=The circulated or encircled, ) is a city and governorate in the Makkan Region of Saudi Arabia. Located at an elevation of in the slopes of the Hijaz Mountains, which themselves are part of the Sarat M ...

, Saudi Arabia.http://www.da.gov.kw/eng/picsandevents/amir14.php Sheikh Saad Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the 14th Ruler and 4th Emir From Ta'if, Jaber set up his government so that its ministers were in communication with the people still in Kuwait. The government was able to direct an underground armed resistance made up of both military and civilian forces and was able to provide public services to the Kuwaiti people who remained, such as emergency care through the funds that it had saved from oil revenues. In the meantime, Jaber and his government lobbied to receive military support action against Iraq before and during the Gulf War. When the war ended on 28 February 1991, Jaber remained in Saudi Arabia while declaring three months of

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

, causing the accusation that he was trying to monopolize too much power for the small constitutional monarchy. He returned to Kuwait in March 1991, after American-led efforts to restore his rule and remove the Iraqi army. By imposing martial law, government officials were able to ensure that there were no Iraqis still in Kuwait who may have attempted to once again overthrow the government. They were also tasked with making sure that the country was safe enough for Jaber and his government to return, which they eventually did on 15 March 1991.Brahmani, Yourself M. "After the War: Kuwait; Kuwaiti Emir, Tired and Tearful, Returns to His Devastated Land", ''

'', 15 March 1991 During the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, and unlike the ruling family of Saudi Arabia, Jaber openly allowed the United States to use Kuwait as a base.

Personal life and death

Al-Sabah had at least 4 wives by 1997, and 7 children.Ibrahim, Youssef M. "After the War: Kuwait; Kuwaiti Emir, Tired and Tearful, Returns to His Devastated Land", ''The New York Times'', 15 March 1997 In September 2001, Jaber suffered from a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

and went to the United Kingdom for treatment. He died on 15 January 2006, aged 79, from the

cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...

that he had suffered in 2001 and was succeeded by the

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah ( ar, سعد العبد الله السالم الصباح, translit=Saʿad al-ʿAbdullāh as-Sālim as-Sabāh) (1930 – 13 May 2008) was the Emir of Kuwait and Commander of the Kuwait Military Forces d ...

. The government announced a 40-day period of mourning and closed office for three days. Bahrain has declared forty days of mourning; Jordan announced seven days of mourning; Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Algeria, Oman, Syria, Pakistan, Mauritius and

State of Palestine Palestine ( ar, فلسطين, Filasṭīn), Legal status of the State of Palestine, officially the State of Palestine ( ar, دولة فلسطين, Dawlat Filasṭīn, label=none), is a state (polity), state located in Western Asia. Officiall ...

all declared three days of mourning; India declared one day of mourning. He was buried at Sulaibikhat Cemetery alongside his kin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah 1926 births 2006 deaths House of Al-Sabah Prime Ministers of Kuwait Rulers of Kuwait Finance ministers of Kuwait Muslim monarchs Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Government ministers of Kuwait Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Grand Cordons of the National Order of the Cedar First Class of the Order of the Star of Romania