Kuwait: Difference between revisions

The Al Sabah ruling family adhere to the [[Maliki school]] of Sunni Islam. Article 4 of the [[Constitution of Kuwait|Kuwait constitution]] stipulates that Kuwait is a hereditary emirate whose emir must be an heir of [[Mubarak Al-Sabah]].<ref name=":0" /> Mubarak had four sons, but an informal pattern of alternation between the descendants of his sons [[Jaber II Al-Sabah|Jabir]] and [[Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah|Salem]] emerged since his death in 1915.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last1=Ulrichsen|first1=Kristian|last2=Henderson|first2=Simon|date=October 4, 2019|title=Kuwait: A Changing System Under Stress|url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/kuwait-changing-system-under-stress-sudden-succession-essay-series|journal=The Washington Institute for Near East Policy}}</ref> This pattern of succession had one exception before 2006, when Sheikh [[Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah|Sabah Al-Salim]], a son of Salem, was named crown prince to succeed his half-brother Sheikh [[Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah|Abdullah Al-Salem]] as a consequence of infighting and lack of consensus within the ruling family council.<ref name=":3" /> The alternating system was resumed when Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim named Sheikh [[Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah|Jaber Al-Ahmed]] of the Jabir branch as his crown prince, eventually ruling as Emir for 29 years from 1977 to 2006.<ref name=":3" /> On January 15, 2006, Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed died and his crown prince, Sheikh [[Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah|Saad Al-Abdullah]] of the Salem branch was named Emir.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Next in Line: Succession and the Kuwaiti Monarchy|url=https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/82471|access-date=2021-09-19|website=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace|language=en}}</ref> On January 23, 2006, the National Assembly unanimously voted in favor of Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah abdicating in favor of Sheikh [[Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah|Sabah Al-Ahmed]], citing his illness with a form of dementia.<ref name=":3" /> Instead of naming a successor from the Salem branch as per convention, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed named his half-brother Sheikh [[Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah|Nawaf Al-Ahmed]] as crown prince and his nephew Sheikh [[Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah|Nasser Al-Mohammed]] as prime minister.<ref name=":3" /> On December 16, 2023, Sheikh [[Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah|Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-SabahAhmed]] Passed away, And Sheikh [[Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah| Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah}}Jaber]] would be the successor.