Jaber Al-Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah Explained

Native Name:الشيخ جابر العلي الصباح
Native Name Lang:ar
Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah
Parents:Sheikh Ali Al-Salem Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah
Office:Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Information
Term Start:1964
Term End:1981
Office1:Minister of Electricity
Termstart1:1962
Termend1:1964
Relations:Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah (brother)
Honorific Prefix:Sheikh
Children:Hamad
Ali

Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah (; 1928 - March 17, 1994) was a Kuwaiti statesman who served as Minister of Electricity and Water, Minister of Guidance and News, and later as Minister of Information. He was also the Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait from 1962 to 1981. Subsequently, he became an advisor to the Amir of Kuwait and was one of the candidates for the Crown Prince in 1978.[1]

Early life

He was the youngest son of Sheikh Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah. His father passed away before he reached his first year, and his upbringing was undertaken by his uncle, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, alongside his cousins Saad and Khalid. At the age of five, he contracted smallpox, a disease that subsequently infected his mother, who suffered from its effects until her passing. Consequently, he lived alone without the presence of either parent.

Career

He received his early education at the Abd Al-Aziz Hamada School, followed by further studies at Al-Mubarakiya School. From 1952 to 1962, he served as the head of the Electricity and Water Authority. After Kuwait's independence and the subsequent establishment of the Constituent Assembly, the first government was formed, and he was appointed as the Minister of Electricity and Water. He was reappointed to the same position in 1963 following the first National Assembly elections. On March 13, 1964, he was appointed Minister of Guidance and News, reappointed to the same position on January 3, 1965, and again on December 4, 1965, following the death of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. He left his ministerial role from 1971 to 1975, returning to government after being appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Information, serving in these roles until 1981. Subsequently, he left his ministerial duties and was appointed as an advisor to the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.[2] [3]

Contention for Crown Prince

When Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah assumed power, he nominated three individuals for the position of Crown Prince, including Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, and Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad yielded his nomination in favor of Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, who was then endorsed by the Al-Sabah family to assume the position. According to British documents, one reason for his not assuming the role of Crown Prince was his isolation from the Al-Sabah family and significant segments of Kuwaiti society.[4]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite//ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1983507&Language=ar حدث في مثل هذا اليوم في الكويت
  2. Book: Azoulay, Rivka . Kuwait and Al-Sabah: tribal politics and power in an oil state . 2020 . I.B. Tauris . 978-1-83860-505-6 . London New York Oxford New Delhi Sydney.
  3. Book: Crystal, Jill . Oil and politics in the Gulf: rulers and merchants in Kuwait and Qatar . 1999 . Univ. Press . 978-0-521-46635-6 . Updated ed., transferred to digital repr . Cambridge Middle East library . Cambridge.
  4. http://www.alqabas.com.kw/Articles.aspx?ArticleID=465373&CatID=557 أسباب إبعاد جابر العلي عن ولاية العهد