Emir of Kuwait

The Emir of the State of Kuwait is the monarch and head of state of Kuwait. It is the most powerful position in the country. The emirs of Kuwait are members of the Al-Sabah dynasty.

Emir of Kuwait
أمير الكويت
Arms of His Highness the Emir of Kuwait
Incumbent
Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah since 16 December 2023
Details
Style	His Highness
First monarch	Sabah I bin Jaber
Formation	1752
Residence	Bayan Palace

The most recent emir, Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, died on 16 December 2023. Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah took over as emir.^[1]

Emirs of Kuwait (1752–present)

No.	Name (Birth–Death)	Portrait	Title(s)	Reigned from	Reigned until
1	Sabah I bin Jaber (Sabah I) (1674–1762)		His Highness The 1st Ruler of Kuwait	1752	1762
			According to the official Kuwaiti sources, Sabah I was unanimously chosen for the position of sheikh.[2]
2	Abdullah I al-Sabah (Abdullah I) (1740–1814)		His Highness The 2nd Ruler of Kuwait	1762	3 May 1814
			Youngest son of Sabah I bin Jaber.
3	Jaber I al-Sabah (Jaber I) (1770–1859)		His Highness The 3rd Ruler of Kuwait	1814	1859
			Eldest son of Abdullah I Al-Sabah.
4	Sabah II al-Sabah (Sabah II) (1784–1866)		His Highness The 4th Ruler of Kuwait	1859	November 1866
			Eldest son of Jaber I Al-Sabah.
5	Abdullah II al-Sabah (Abdullah II) (1814–1892)		His Highness The 5th Ruler of Kuwait	November 1866	1892
			Eldest son of Sabah II Al-Sabah.
6	Muhammad al-Sabah (Muhammad I) (1838–1896)		His Highness The 6th Ruler of Kuwait	May 1892	1896
			Second son of Sabah II Al-Sabah.
7	Mubarak al-Sabah (Mubarak I) (1837–1915)		His Highness The 7th Ruler of Kuwait	18 May 1896	28 November 1915
			Son of Sabah II Al-Sabah. Known as "The Great".
8	Jaber II al-Sabah (Jaber II) (1860–1917)		His Highness The 8th Ruler of Kuwait	28 November 1915	2 February 1917
			Eldest son of Mubarak Al-Sabah.
9	Salim al-Mubarak al-Sabah (Salim I) (1864–1921)		His Highness The 9th Ruler of Kuwait	5 February 1917	22 February 1921
			Second son of Mubarak Al-Sabah.
10	Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah (Ahmad I) (1885–1950)		His Highness The 10th Ruler of Kuwait	29 March 1921	29 January 1950
			Son of Jaber II Al-Sabah. Founder of the Kuwait Public Security Force and early stages of the Military of Kuwait.[3]
11	Abdullah al-Salim al-Sabah (Abdullah III) (1895–1965)		His Highness The 11th Ruler of Kuwait The 1st Emir of the State of Kuwait Commander-in-chief of Kuwait Military Forces.	29 January 1950	24 November 1965
			Eldest son of Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. Political leader during the Operation Vantage, invoked Section 4 of the independence agreement to request British military intervention. Introduced the Constitution of Kuwait in 1962. Introduced the National Assembly in 1963.
12	Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah (Sabah III) (1913–1977)		His Highness The 12th Ruler of Kuwait The 2nd Emir of the State of Kuwait Commander-in-chief of the Kuwait Military Forces.	24 November 1965	31 December 1977
			Youngest son of Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. 1st Minister of Foreign Affairs and political leader during the Six-Day War (1967), the War of Attrition (1967–70), the 1973 Samita border skirmish and the October War (1973).
13	Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah (Jaber III) (1926–2006)		His Highness The 13th Ruler of Kuwait The 3rd Emir of the State of Kuwait Commander-in-chief of the Kuwait Military Forces.	31 December 1977	15 January 2006
			Third son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. 1st Prime Minister of Kuwait and political leader during the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88), the Invasion of Kuwait (1990) and the Gulf War (1991).
14	Saad al-Abdullah al-Salim al-Sabah (Saad I) (1930–2008)		His Highness The 14th Ruler of Kuwait The 4th Emir of the State of Kuwait Commander-in-chief of the Kuwait Military Forces.	15 January 2006	24 January 2006
			Eldest son of Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah. 1st Minister of Interior and 2nd Minister of Defense. Defense leader during the Six Day War (1967), the War of Attrition (1967–70), the 1973 Samita border skirmish, the October War (1973) and the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88).[4] Military governor and second political leader during the Invasion of Kuwait and Gulf War. Deposed by the National Assembly and abdicated simultaneously due to illness; died on 13 May 2008.
15	Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah (Sabah IV) (1929–2020)[5][6]		His Highness The 15th Ruler of Kuwait The 5th Emir of the State of Kuwait Commander-in-chief of the Kuwait Military Forces.	29 January 2006	29 September 2020
			Fourth son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. 2nd Minister of Foreign Affairs (1963–2003) and 2nd Minister of Interior by interim (1978). Prime Minister (2003–06).[5] Honored by the United Nations for his leadership, with respect to humanitarian mission work around the Middle East and Africa on September 9, 2014.[7]
16	Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah (Nawaf I) (1937–2023)		His Highness The 16th Ruler of Kuwait The 6th Emir of the State of Kuwait Commander-in-chief of the Kuwait Military Forces.	29 September 2020[8]	16 December 2023
			Sixth son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Governor of Hawalli (1962–1978), Minister of Interior (1978–1988), Minister of Defense (1988–1991), Acting minister of labor and social affairs (1991–1992), Deputy chief of the Kuwait National Guard (1994–2003), Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait and Minister of the Interior (2003–2006), and Crown Prince of Kuwait (2006–2020).
17	Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (Mishal I) (1940–)		His Highness The 17th Ruler of Kuwait The 7th Emir of the State of Kuwait Commander-in-chief of the Kuwait Military Forces.	16 December 2023[1]	Incumbent
			Seventh son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Deputy Chief of National Guard (2004–2020), and Crown Prince of Kuwait (2020–2023).