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Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

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In this Arabic name, the surname is Al-Sabah.
Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
مِشْعَلَ الْأَحْمَدَ الْجَابِرَ الصَّبَاح
Mishal in 2023
Emir of Kuwait
Reign16 December 2023 – present
PredecessorNawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Heir apparentSabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah
Born (1940-09-27) 27 September 1940 (age 84)
Kuwait City, Sheikhdom of Kuwait
SpousesNuria Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah
Munira Badah Al-Mutairi
Issue12
HouseSabah
FatherAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
MotherMaryam Marit Al-Huwaila
ReligionSunni Islam

Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah[a] (born 27 September 1940) is Emir of Kuwait, reigning since 2023. Mishal spent most of his career in Kuwait's security and intelligence apparatus. Prior to becoming Emir at age 83, he was the oldest crown prince in the world.[1]

Biography

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Mishal was born on 27 September 1940 to Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during his father's reign (1921–1950) as the tenth ruler of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait. Mishal was Ahmad's seventh son, and is the paternal younger half-brother of three emirs of Kuwait: Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (1977–2006), Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (2006–2020) and Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (2020–2023).[2]

Mishal attended the Al Mubarakiya School in Kuwait for primary education,[2] then went abroad to the United Kingdom for studies at the Hendon Police College, from which he graduated in 1960. After graduation from Hendon, Mishal joined the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior (MOI). From 1967 to 1980, he served as head of the MOI's intelligence and state security service.[3] In this role, he oversaw the intelligence organization's development into the Kuwait State Security service, and Mishal served as its first director.[2]

On 13 April 2004, then-Emir Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah named Mishal as a minister-level deputy chief of the Kuwait National Guard (KNG), replacing Nawaf in the position. The deputy chief is one of Kuwait's most powerful interior defense positions, and Mishal was the most powerful man in the agency, as the chief is a symbolic position held by Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, the most senior member of the House of Sabah.[4][5]

At the KNG, Mishal led a reform of the agency and crackdown on corruption. During Mishal's tenure, the KNG joined the International Association of Gendarmeries and Police Forces with Military Status (FIEP) in 2019. Mishal stepped down from his position at the KNG in 2020 upon nomination as Crown Prince.[3][6]

Shortly after his half-brother Sabah became emir in 2006, Mishal was considered one of the top three decision-makers in the Al-Sabah ruling family. During his tenure, Mishal had reportedly turned down more senior roles in order to avoid political disputes and maintain his relationships in the family.[7]

As his half-brother Sabah's health started to fail, Mishal's influence grew, and he accompanied Sabah on official visits, including to the Mayo Clinic in the United States for medical treatment.[3][6]

Crown Prince

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Crown Prince Nawaf became emir upon the death of his half-brother Sabah on 29 September 2020. According to Kuwaiti law, Nawaf had a one-year period in which to select his crown prince. After a record-short eight days, he selected his half-brother Mishal on 7 October.[6] At a special session of the Kuwait National Assembly the next day, all 59 members of parliament unanimously approved Mishal's appointment.[8] Upon assuming the role of crown prince at the age of 80, Mishal became the world's oldest crown prince.[1]

The appointment of Mishal, among the Kuwaiti ruling family's oldest members, was interpreted by some analysts as a sign that the country rulers wanted to avoid significant change, such as a transition to the next generation of leaders. Mishal was chosen instead of other, perhaps more controversial, candidates for crown prince including former Prime Ministers Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah and Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, or Deputy Prime Minister Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.[7][5]

Mishal was expected to assume a larger role than previous crown princes due to Nawaf's advanced age.[9] For example, on 2 September 2021, Mishal spoke with US Vice President Kamala Harris about US-Kuwait bilateral relations and Kuwait's role in the evacuation of Afghanistan.[10]

In response to political gridlock in Kuwait, Crown Prince Mishal, not Nawaf, announced the dissolution of the Kuwait National Assembly on 17 April 2023, citing in a television address a law that empowered the emir to do so.[11]

Mishal has also represented Kuwait at important events abroad, including the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London in 2022[12] and the wedding of Hussein, Crown Prince of Jordan in 2023.[13]

Ruler of Kuwait

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Mishal became the emir of Kuwait following the death of the previous emir, his half-brother Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, on 16 December 2023, following hospitalisation in November for a medical emergency.[14][15]

On 15 February 2024, Mishal dissolved the National Assembly amidst escalating tensions between the nascent government and parliamentarians, resulting in a nationwide deadlock exacerbated by the use of offensive and inappropriate language.[16] Three months later, on 10 May, he disbanded the parliament for the second time and suspended selected constitutional articles for a duration not exceeding four years, following weeks of political strain subsequent to the snap election in April.[17]

Personal life

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Mishal has 2 wives: Nuria Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and Munira Badah Al-Mutairi. He has 12 children: 5 sons and 7 daughters. He was a founder and served as honorary president of the Kuwait Amateur Radio Society. He has also been the honorary president of the Kuwait Aircraft Engineer Pilots Association and of the Diwan of Poets.[2]

Honors

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Arabic: اَلشَّيْخ مِشْعَلَ الْأَحْمَدَ الْجَابِرَ الصَّبَاح, romanized: ash-shaykh Mishʻal al-ʾAḥmad al-Jābir aṣ-Ṣabāḥ

References

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  1. ^ a b "The world's oldest crown prince nears the throne of Kuwait". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah". Diwan of His Highness The Crown Prince. Government of Kuwait. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Kuwait marks 1st anniversary of Sheikh Mishal's nomination as Crown Prince". The Times Kuwait. Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). 7 October 2021. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Kuwait's new emir names anti-Islamist national guard chief as crown prince". Arab News. 7 October 2020. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Kuwaiti emir names top security official as crown prince". AFP. France24. Archived from the original on 25 August 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Kuwait Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah names Sheikh Meshal Al Sabah as new crown prince". The National. UAE. 7 October 2020. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Factbox: Who will be Kuwait's next crown prince?". Reuters. 1 October 2020. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Kuwait Assembly approves Sheikh Mishal as Crown Prince". Gulf Business. 8 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Kuwait's emir names security czar Sheikh Meshal as crown prince". Reuters. 7 October 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Readout of Vice President Harris Call with Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jabir Al-Sabah of Kuwait". White House. 2 September 2021. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Kuwait crown prince says parliament will be dissolved again". Associated Press. 17 April 2023. Archived from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Queen Elizabeth II's Funeral: Arab Royals Pay Their Respects Ahead of The Ceremony". Harper's Bazaar. 19 September 2022. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  13. ^ Syed, Armani (2 June 2023). "Jordan's Crown Prince Is Getting Married. Here's What We Know About the Lavish Royal Wedding". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah named Emir of Kuwait". Public Television Company of Armenia. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Who is Sheikh Meshal? The new emir of oil-rich Kuwait". WION. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  16. ^ Naar, Ismaeel (15 February 2024). "Kuwait dissolves parliament as political rift with government persists". The National News.
  17. ^ "Kuwait's Emir dissolves parliament, suspends some constitution articles". Reuters. 10 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Kuwait National Guard deputy chief receives France's Legion of Honor". Kuwait News Agency. 4 December 2018. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  19. ^ Bahrain King awards Kuwait's Emir Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
  20. ^ نجدي, ياسر (30 January 2024). "بعد منحها لأمير الكويت.. ماذا تعرف عن الوسام الأرفع "قلادة الملك عبدالعزيز"؟". صحيفة سبق الالكترونية (in Arabic). Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  21. ^ "HM the Sultan and Emir of Kuwait exchange orders, mementos".
  22. ^ "Amir honored on Qatar visit". Kuwait Times. 20 February 2024.
  23. ^ "President Sheikh Mohamed discusses regional security with Kuwait's Emir". The National. 5 March 2024.
  24. ^ "Joint Statement on the State Visit by Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah". The Arab Republic of Egypt Presidency. 30 April 2024.
  25. ^ "Kuwait's Amir receives Jordan highest award from King Abdullah II". Kuna. 23 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Turkey honors Amir on state visit". Kuwait Times. 7 May 2024.
[edit]
Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Born: 27 September 1940
Regnal titles
Preceded by Emir of Kuwait
16 December 2023 – present 		Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah
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