Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah: A Busy Political Path Since Kuwait’s Independence

 Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah part of a delegation of Arab foreign ministers in a meeting with US President Richard Nixon in 1973 (Getty Images)
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah part of a delegation of Arab foreign ministers in a meeting with US President Richard Nixon in 1973 (Getty Images)
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Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah: A Busy Political Path Since Kuwait’s Independence

 Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah part of a delegation of Arab foreign ministers in a meeting with US President Richard Nixon in 1973 (Getty Images)
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah part of a delegation of Arab foreign ministers in a meeting with US President Richard Nixon in 1973 (Getty Images)

The life of the late Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, was full of rich political experiences that began with the country’s independence from Britain in 1961.

Sheikh Sabah received educational and training courses in some European countries and held important positions at a young age. He was the country’s first Minister of Information and the second Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is the fifteenth Emir of Kuwait, and the fifth since the independence.

Kuwait before Independence

Kuwait gained its independence from Britain on June 19, 1961, when the late Emir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the 11th ruler of the country, signed the independence document with the British High Commissioner in the Arabian Gulf, Sir George Middleton.

Kuwait witnessed an active political life, even before its independence from Britain. The country saw its first written constitution and the birth of its Shura Council in 1921. Moreover, Kuwaitis were the first Gulf people to elect a legislative council in 1938.

The Gulf State was also known for its parliamentary system that was established by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the man of independence. During his reign, the constitution was approved, the first document of its kind in the Gulf. The current constitution was promulgated on November 11, 1962 and entered into force on January 29, 1963.

Seven years before the independence, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah began his political career at the age of 25.

In 1954, the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al Sabah, appointed him to the Supreme Executive Committee, which acted like a cabinet and was responsible for organizing state departments.

After the completion of this committee’s work, he was appointed in the following year as head of the Department of Social Affairs and Labor, when the governmental departments in pre-independence Kuwait were in the ranks of the ministries.

In 1956, he established the first center for popular arts in Kuwait. He also worked on publishing the official newspaper, Kuwait Today.

With the formation of the first cabinet in Kuwait’s post-independence era, Sabah Al-Ahmad was appointed Minister of Guidance and News (Media) in the first government, and thus became the first Minister of Information in the country’s modern history.

By virtue of his membership in the government, he also became a member of the Constituent Assembly which started the process of drafting the constitution. In 1963, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, and he remained in this position for 40 years.

He also held the ministries of finance and oil as an acting minister, in the fifth ministerial lineup after the independence, between December 4, 1965, and January 28, 1967.

After that, he headed the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. The late Emir was also appointed as acting Minister of Interior between February 16, 1978 and March 18, 1978.

In 2003, an Emiri decree was issued appointing him Prime Minister, a position he held until January 24, 2006, when the Council of Ministers nominated him as Emir of the country, and members of the National Assembly unanimously pledged allegiance to him in a special session that took place 5 days later. He is the third Emir to take to oath of office before the National Assembly in the history of Kuwait.



Israel Wary of Egypt's 'Military Infrastructure' in Sinai: Peace Treaty at Risk?

Egyptian army chief Ahmed Khalifa inspects troops near Israel's border late last year. (Military spokesman)
Egyptian army chief Ahmed Khalifa inspects troops near Israel's border late last year. (Military spokesman)
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Israel Wary of Egypt's 'Military Infrastructure' in Sinai: Peace Treaty at Risk?

Egyptian army chief Ahmed Khalifa inspects troops near Israel's border late last year. (Military spokesman)
Egyptian army chief Ahmed Khalifa inspects troops near Israel's border late last year. (Military spokesman)

Israel has voiced growing concerns over Egypt’s military presence in the Sinai Peninsula, fearing a potential escalation between the two sides amid the ongoing Gaza war.

Israeli media reports said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has asked both Washington and Cairo to dismantle what it describes as a “military infrastructure” established by the Egyptian army in Sinai.

However, an informed Egyptian source and experts cited by Asharq Al-Awsat insisted that Egypt has not violated its peace treaty with Israel. They argued that Cairo’s military movements are a response to Israeli breaches of the agreement.

Israel’s Israel Hayom newspaper, citing a senior Israeli security official, reported that Egypt’s military buildup in Sinai constitutes a “major violation” of the security annex of the peace treaty.

The official said the issue is a top priority for Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, stressing that Israel “will not accept this situation” amid what it views as Egypt’s growing military footprint in the peninsula.

The official added that the issue goes beyond the deployment of Egyptian forces in Sinai exceeding the quotas set under the military annex of the Camp David Accords.

The real concern, he said, lies in Egypt’s continued military buildup in the peninsula, which Israel views as an irreversible step.

Moreover, he stressed that while Israel is not seeking to amend its peace treaty with Egypt or redeploy troops along the border, it believes the current situation requires urgent action to prevent a potential escalation.

Egypt-Israel relations have not seen such tensions since the outbreak of the Gaza war, particularly after Israel violated a ceasefire agreement with Hamas brokered primarily by Egypt. Israeli forces resumed airstrikes on Gaza last month and failed to fulfill their commitments to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor and Palestinian border crossings.

A senior Egyptian source dismissed Israel’s accusations, telling Asharq Al-Awsat that “these repeated Israeli pretexts ignore the fact that Israeli forces have violated the peace treaty, seizing control of areas where Egypt objects to their presence without the necessary coordination with Cairo.”

Egypt has the right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its national security against any threats, emphasized the source.

“Nevertheless, Cairo remains fully committed to the peace treaty and has no intention of aggression against any party,” it added.

Israeli forces seized control of the Gaza-Egypt border, including the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing, in May 2024. Israel has accused Egypt of not doing enough to stop weapons smuggling into Gaza through border tunnels—an allegation Cairo has denied.

Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, which Israel later broke, Israeli forces were supposed to begin withdrawing from the Philadelphi Corridor on March 1, completing the pullout within eight days. However, Israel failed to do so and instead resumed airstrikes on Gaza.

Israel also announced the creation of an administration aimed at facilitating the “voluntary departure” of Gaza residents, a move Cairo strongly rejected and formally condemned.

Egypt has insisted that Palestinians must remain in their homeland and has put forward a reconstruction plan for Gaza and called for the implementation of the two-state solution. The plan was endorsed at an emergency Arab summit three weeks ago.

Media reports have indicated that Egypt responded to Israel’s control of the Gaza border by increasing its military presence near the frontier—an act that some Israeli officials claim violates the peace treaty and threatens Israel’s security.

Former Egyptian intelligence official Gen. Mohammed Rashad told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel itself violated the peace treaty by seizing the Philadelphi Corridor, controlling border crossings, and blocking aid to Gaza while seeking to forcibly displace Palestinians into Egypt.

“Every Israeli action along Gaza’s border with Egypt constitutes hostile behavior against Egypt’s national security,” said Rashad, who previously headed the Israeli military affairs division in Egypt’s intelligence service.

“Egypt cannot sit idly by in the face of such threats and must prepare for all possible scenarios.”

The Philadelphi Corridor is a strategically sensitive buffer zone, serving as a narrow 14-kilometer passage between Egypt, Israel, and Gaza, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south.

Military expert General Samir Farag insisted that Egypt has not violated the peace treaty or its security annex in over 40 years, arguing that Israel has repeatedly breached the agreement and is attempting to shift blame onto Cairo.

“Israel is doing this to distract from its internal problems, including public discontent over its ballooning defense budget,” Farag told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“It also wants to deflect attention from Egypt’s reconstruction plan for Gaza and leverage its claims to pressure the United States for more military aid by portraying Egypt as a threat.”

Farag emphasized that Egypt’s actions are solely aimed at protecting its national security, adding: “There is no clause in the peace treaty that prevents a country from defending itself.”

“The so-called ‘military infrastructure’ Israel refers to consists of roads and development projects in Sinai.”

“The US has satellite surveillance over the region—if Egypt had violated the treaty, Washington would have flagged it. Moreover, security coordination between Egypt and Israel continues daily,” he explained.

Egypt and Israel signed their landmark peace treaty on March 25, 1979, committing to resolving disputes peacefully and prohibiting the use or threat of force. The agreement also established military deployment guidelines and a joint security coordination committee.

Meanwhile, US Republican Party member Tom Harb told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington has received intelligence from multiple sources indicating that Egypt has amassed a significant military force in Sinai.

Israel considers this a breach of the peace treaty, which designates Sinai as a demilitarized zone to prevent surprises like the 1973 war, Harb said.

While the US fully supports Israel’s concerns, it also wants to prevent further escalation, as that would destabilize the region, he added.

Ultimately, Egypt must clarify whether its troop movements are aimed at threatening Israel or preventing Palestinians from crossing into Egyptian territory, he stated.