Mubarak Al-Sabah

Who is Mubarak Al-Sabah?

Mubarak bin Sabah Al-Sabah, widely remembered as Mubarak the Great (Mubarak Al-Kabir), was the seventh ruler of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait and is regarded as the founder of modern Kuwait. He came to power in May 1896 after his half-brothers, the ruling sheikh Muhammad Al-Sabah and Jarrah Al-Sabah, were killed in a palace succession struggle, and he took the throne amid growing pressure from the Ottoman Empire, which sought greater control over Kuwait's affairs. To secure the sheikhdom's autonomy, Mubarak pursued a bold foreign policy, signing the Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement of 1899 with Britain, under which Kuwait's foreign relations came under British protection while its internal governance remained in Al-Sabah hands. This arrangement shielded Kuwait from Ottoman annexation and set the framework for its status as a British protectorate until 1961. During his nineteen-year reign, Kuwait's economy expanded around maritime trade and pearl diving, and the town grew in regional importance as a hub for merchants and shipbuilders. Mubarak died in 1915, and leadership of Kuwait remained within the line he secured, cementing his reputation as the ruler who set Kuwait on the path toward its modern statehood.

Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Mubarak the Great" · Wikipedia, "Mubarak Al-Sabah" · Fanack, "Mubarak Al-Sabah and the British Protectorate (1896-1950)"