Amir of Kuwait
| Emir of Kuwait | |
|---|---|
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| Incumbent | |
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Sabah Al-Sabah since 29 January 2006 |
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| Details | |
| Style | His Highness |
| Heir apparent | The Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Sabah |
| First monarch | Sabah I bin Jaber |
| Formation | 1752 |
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, which originate from the Bani Utbah; a federation of clans in the Arabian Peninsula.
Since 29 January 2006, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the current emir.
Succession to the throne of Kuwait is limited to the descendants of Mubarak Al-Sabah. The position of Emir is also traditionally alternated between the two main branches of the Al-Sabah family, the Al-Ahmed and Al-Salem branches. The reigning emir must appoint an heir apparent within one year of his accession to the throne; the nominee for consideration as Crown Prince has to be a senior member of the Al-Sabah family. The nomination needs approval by an absolute majority of members of the National Assembly, Kuwait's parliament. If the nominee fails to win approval from the National Assembly, the Emir submits the names of three eligible members of the family to the National Assembly, and the National Assembly selects one to be the crown prince.
The Prime Minister is appointed by the Emir; however the appointment of the prime minister requires approval from the majority of members of the National Assembly.
The National Assembly (per article 4 of the Constitution) has the constitutional right to approve and disapprove of an Emir's appointment, therefore the National Assembly has the authority to remove an Emir from his post. The National Assembly effectively removed Saad al-Sabah from his post in 2006 because of Saad's inability to rule due to illness. Kuwait's National Assembly is the most independent parliament in the Arab world, it ranks highly in comparison to other parliaments in the Middle East as a whole.
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Wikipedia