Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah (, 5 January 1942 – 14 September 2024) was a Kuwaiti royal and politician who served as the

prime minister of Kuwait The prime minister of Kuwait is the head of government of Kuwait. As the third most powerful official in the country, following the Emir of Kuwait and List of Speakers of Kuwait National Assembly, Speaker of the National Assembly, the prime min ...

from 2011 to 2019. He previously served as minister of defense as well as deputy prime minister. In April 2021 a Kuwaiti court ordered his detention on corruption charges. Jaber was first appointed prime minister on 4 December 2011. A year later, on 5 December 2012, he was reappointed prime minister following the parliamentary election held on 1 December 2012. He was re-appointed in the same position on 1 November 2017.

Career

Jaber began his career an advisor at the administrative affairs department in the

Amiri Diwan The Amiri Diwan of Kuwait ( Al-Diwan Al-Amiri) serves as the royal court of the Emir of Kuwait. History Due to Kuwait's unique geographical position, it has been a major trading centre. This was especially evident during the reign of Sheikh Mubar ...

in 1968 and served there until 1971. Then, he served as director of the administrative affairs department in the Diwan until 1975. He went on to become assistant undersecretary of administrative and financial affairs at the Diwan until 1979. In that year, he became a governor, serving from 1979 to 1985 at Hawally and from 1985 to 1986 at Ahmedy. He was minister of social and labor affairs from 1986 to 1988 and minister of information from 1988 to 1990. After the

liberation of Kuwait The Liberation of Kuwait campaign was between 24 and 28 February 1991, consisting of a major ground offensive into Iraqi-occupied Kuwait following the successful Gulf War air campaign. Approximately 650,000 troops of the American-led 42-coun ...

in 1991, Jaber became advisor to the office of the Emir, a position he held until 2001. On 14 February 2001, he was named deputy

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

and

defense minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

. In 2004, Jaber became chairman of the Supreme Council of Environment. In 2006, he was appointed first deputy prime minister, as well as interior and defense minister. The following year, he was named first deputy prime minister and defense minister. Sabah was appointed prime minister on 4 December 2011. On 5 December 2012, he was reappointed prime minister following a parliamentary election held on 1 December 2012. In January 2014 it was announced that he had reshuffled his five-month-old cabinet, replacing seven members, including the oil and finance ministers, and raising the number of Islamists to four. The reshuffle came two weeks after all the ministers submitted their resignations to Sabah after several cabinet members, including the prime minister himself, were questioned by MPs. Emir Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah accepted the resignation of seven of the 15 ministers and decreed the appointment of new ministers. The modified cabinet included a new oil minister, Ali Al Omair, a lawmaker who was a senior member of the Islamist Salaf Alliance. He replaced Mustafa Al Shamali.

Corruption charges

On 13 April 2021, a Kuwaiti court ordered the detention of Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah on

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

charges. He was the first former Kuwaiti prime minister to face pre-trial detention over

graft Graft or grafting may refer to: *Graft (politics), a form of political corruption *Graft, Netherlands, a village in the municipality of Graft-De Rijp Science and technology *Graft (surgery), a surgical procedure *Grafting, the joining of plant ti ...

charges. The crimes allegedly took place during Jaber Al-Sabah's 2001–11 term as defense minister.

Activities

He was a patron of the Sheikh Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah Journalism award, created in 2008 to honor excellence in Kuwaiti journalism.

Personal life

Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah was born in

Kuwait City Kuwait City (; ) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economic center of the emirate, containing Kuwait's Seif Pal ...

on 5 January 1942. He was married to several women. One of his sons, Ahmed, married the daughter of Ibrahim bin Muhammed Al Ghanim, a member of the Kuwaiti Al Ghanim family. On 11 April 2023, his son, Mubarak, died at the age of 45. Jaber died in Kuwait City on 14 September 2024, at the age of 82.

Honours

On 20 November 2007, King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa awarded Jaber the "Medal of King Issa, First Class," following his visit to Bahrain where he took part in the Middle East Forum on Internal and World Security. On 5 November 2009, he became the first Arab to be awarded Japan's highest honor conferred on foreigners, Order of the Rising Sun, Grand Cordon.

References

External links

*
Biography at Al-Diwan Al-Amiri
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Sabah, Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al- 1942 births 2024 deaths 21st-century Kuwaiti politicians Defence ministers of Kuwait Information ministers of Kuwait Interior ministers of Kuwait Social affairs ministers of Kuwait Labour ministers of Kuwait Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Prime ministers of Kuwait Deputy prime ministers of Kuwait