House of A-Sabah
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For other uses, see Sabah.
The House of Al-Sabah (Arabic: الصباح) are the ruling family of Kuwait. They are a clan from the Bani Utub tribe which migrated to Kuwait in the late seventeenth century from Najd (current day Saudia Arabia). They were preceded by the Bani Khalid tribe in Kuwait, and have ruled Kuwait since 1752 when Sabah I became Shaikh (chief) of Kuwait. Subsequent Shaikhs are the descendants of Sabah I. The Emir of Kuwait is the head of the executive branch. He is nominated by a family council, headed by the most senior and prominent members of the Al-Sabah. The leadership is not strictly hereditary, and although many Emirs have succeeded their fathers, the family chooses the leader from each succeeding generation. For example, the late Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah appointed his cousin Sheikh Saad as Heir Apparent. All members of the ruling family receive a monthly stipend (Which has doubled since Sheikh Sabah became Emir) from the Amiri Diwan (forum), and a yearly bonus.[citation needed] The Al-Sabah members also get paid a a bonus if they marry within the family.[citation needed] The Prime Minister is selected by the Emir, and must be a member of the Al-Sabah Family. The Al-Sabah's also hold most of the key cabinet posts, such as Minister of Defense, Foreign Minister, and Minister of Interior.
The two main branchesSheikh Mubarak seized the leadership of Kuwait from his brother Sheikh Mohamed through assassinating his brother (Mohamed sixth emir of kuwait) in 1896. The main excuse used was that Sheikh Mohamed was letting power slip from his hands into that of his uncles from the Al-Ibrahim clan, and that he was unable to cleverly play the clashing Ottoman and British empires against each other the way Mubarak did. He was succeeded as ruler by his son Jaber (1915-17) and another son Salem (1917-21). Subsequent Emirs descended from these two brothers and there has often been tension between the two branches (the Al-Jaber branch and the Al-Salem branch respectively). For this reason, it has become tradition to alternate the post of Emir between the two; the recent appointment of Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah as Crown Prince by the current Emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Sabah has created some disputes as both are of the Al-Jaber branch of the family[1]. To further the conflict, Sheikh Saad Al-Sabah of the Al-Salem branch ruled only briefly, being preceded and succeeded by members of the Al-Jaber branches[2]. Current eventsSheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah was removed by parliamentary action after a prolonged stalemate following the death of the previous Emir Jaber on Jan 15 2006. He was earlier offered the chance to abdicate after taking power provisionally as stipulated by the constitution, but his inability to recite the oath of office prevented his ratification by parliament. The then prime minister, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was nominated for the post of Emir by invoking Article 3 of the Kuwaiti constitution. He was sworn in on January 29 2006 and is the current ruler. The Emir appointed his brother, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as Crown Prince. The Emir also appointed his nephew, Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah as Prime Minister. OtherEvery member of the ruling family is often locally referred to as Sheikh if male or Sheikha if female, and this title is put in front of members' first names as honorifics. Al-Sabah Dynasty
*Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Other notable members of al-Sabah
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