Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah |
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| Emir of Kuwait | |
| Reign | 29 January 2006 – 29 September 2020 |
| Predecessor | Saad Al-Salim |
| Successor | Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber |
| Prime Ministers |
See list
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| Born | 16 June 1929 Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| Died | 29 September 2020 (aged 91) Rochester, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Spouse | Fatuwah bint Salman Al-Sabah (died 1990) |
| Issue | Nasser Hamad Ahmed Salwa |
| House | House of Sabah |
| Father | Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah |
| Mother | Munira Othman Hamad Al-Ayyar Al-Saeed |
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (Arabic: الشيخ صباح الأحمد الجابر الصباح) was an important leader in Kuwait. He was born on June 16, 1929, and passed away on September 29, 2020. He held the title of Emir of Kuwait, which is like being the ruler or king of the country. He was also the Commander of Kuwait's military forces. He became Emir on January 29, 2006, and served until his death. He was the fourth son of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, a previous ruler.
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Early Life and Career
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was born in 1929. He went to Al Mubarakya School in the 1930s. He also had private teachers to help him learn.
He was the half-brother of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who was the Emir before him. In July 2003, his brother Jaber made Sabah the Prime Minister of Kuwait. Before this, Sabah had a long career in government.
He served as the Foreign Minister for many years. He held this role from 1963 to 1991 and again from 1992 to 2003. As Foreign Minister, he helped Kuwait build strong relationships with other countries after the Gulf War. He was also a top deputy prime minister during this time. For a short period, from 1965 to 1967, he was also the acting Minister of Finance.
From 2003 to 2006, he was the Prime Minister. During this time, he was the main leader of Kuwait. This was because Emir Jaber III was not in good health.
Becoming Emir
On January 15, 2006, Emir Sheikh Jaber passed away. This meant Sheikh Saad, who was the Crown Prince, became the new Emir. Many people thought Sabah would become the new Crown Prince.
However, the Emir must take an oath in front of the Parliament. Soon, people realized that Sheikh Saad was too ill to take the oath properly. Some reports said he had Alzheimer's disease or another serious illness. It was clear he could not speak for long.
After discussions within the ruling family, Sheikh Saad agreed to step down as Emir on January 23, 2006. The family then decided that Sabah should become the new Emir. On January 24, 2006, the National Assembly of Kuwait voted Sheikh Saad out of office. This happened just before his official letter of stepping down was received.
The government then officially nominated Sabah as Emir. He was sworn in on January 29, 2006, with the National Assembly's approval. This brought an end to the leadership problem.
His Time as Emir
As Emir, Sabah sometimes dissolved the National Assembly. He did this on March 19, 2008, and called for new elections. This happened after the government resigned due to disagreements. He also dissolved the parliament in 2012 after another disagreement between the government and parliament.
Foreign Relations and Mediation
Sabah was known as a respected mediator in his region and around the world. This was partly because of his long experience as Foreign Minister and Prime Minister. Under his leadership, Kuwait helped solve problems between different countries. For example, he helped mediate between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Turkey and Bulgaria, and different groups in the civil war in Lebanon. He also worked to improve relations between the Gulf States and Iran.
In 2016, Sabah hosted meetings in Kuwait to help end the Yemeni Civil War. He also played a key role in trying to resolve the Qatar diplomatic crisis. He met with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar to discuss the issue. Many countries, including the U.S., UK, France, and Germany, supported his efforts. U.S. President Donald Trump praised his work to bring stability to the region.
Helping People Around the World
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called Sabah a "global humanitarian leader." He said Sabah's support for disaster relief, peace efforts, and public health was inspiring.
In 2014, Sabah made a very large donation of $300 million to help Syrian refugees in nearby countries. That same year, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon honored Sabah with a Humanitarian Award. Ban Ki-moon said, "This is a great humanitarian day. We are sitting together with a great humanitarian leader of our world."
In 2015, Sabah promised another $500 million to help with the Syrian crisis at a UN meeting held in Kuwait.
In 2017, UN Secretary-General António Guterres thanked Kuwait for its leadership in helping people. He also praised Kuwait's efforts to promote understanding and dialogue in regional conflicts. Guterres noted that Kuwait's main goal was peace.
Death and Succession
After being in the hospital at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah passed away on September 29, 2020. He was 91 years old and had been dealing with health issues.
The government of Kuwait announced 40 days of mourning. Kuwaiti TV and radio stopped their regular shows to announce his death. His half-brother, Sheikh Nawaf, who was the Crown Prince, became the new Emir of Kuwait. Sabah was buried in the Sulaibikhat cemetery, alongside his family.
Honors and Awards
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received many honors and awards from different countries and organizations for his work.
Albania : Honorary Citizen of Tirana, Albania (2008)- Albania : Grand Cordon of the Skanderbeg's Order (2012)
Argentina : Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín
Azerbaijan : Heydar Aliyev Order (2009)
Italy : Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2010)
Mexico : Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (2016)
Spain : Collar of the Order of Civil Merit (2008)
Turkey : Collar of the Order of the State of Republic of Turkey (2017)
United States : Legion of Merit, Chief Commander Degree (2020)
United Nations : United Nations Humanitarian Leadership (2014)- International Organization for Migration : IOM Humanitarian Medal (2014)
Images for kids
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Sixth cabinet in the history of Kuwait in 1967. Sabah is sixth from right.
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Colin Powell and Prime Minister Sabah in Washington, 2001.
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Emir of Kuwait with President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in 2014.
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UAE flag at half mast in mourning for Sabhah Al Ahmad on 29 September 2020.
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See also
In Spanish: Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Yaber Al-Sabah para niños
