Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney meets with Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah to deliver condolences on the death of the Emir in 2006.

On 15 January 2006 the Emir, Sheikh Jaber, died, making Sheikh Saad, Crown Prince of Kuwait, the new Emir.[6] With the accession of Sheikh Saad, Sabah was likely to become the new Crown Prince, retaining his function of Prime Minister. However, the Constitution requires that the Emir be sworn in before Parliament, and the oath of office is complex; soon the word began to spread that Sheikh Saad was unable to take the oath in full. Some reports suggested that he suffered from Alzheimer's disease or some other debilitating disease; it was generally agreed that he was unable to speak, at least at any length.[7] After a power struggle within the ruling family, Sheikh Saad agreed to abdicate as the Emir of Kuwait on 23 January 2006 due to his illness.[8] The ruling family then conferred and Sheikh Sabah became the new Emir of Kuwait. On 24 January 2006, Kuwait’s parliament voted Emir Saad out of office, moments before an official letter of abdication was received.[9] The Kuwaiti Cabinet nominated Al-Sabah to take over as Emir. He was sworn in on 29 January 2006 with the National Assembly's approval, ending that crisis.

Al-Sabah dissolved the National Assembly on 19 March 2008 and called for early elections on 17 May 2008, after the cabinet resigned in the week of 17 March 2008 following a power struggle with the government.[10]

Sabah at the 13. Session of the Islamic Summit Conference in Istanbul

A struggle broke out between the government and parliament in 2012; he consequently dissolved the parliament.[11][12]

The Emir is a respected regional and international mediator due in part to his place in the Gulf Cooperation Council's leadership order and his forty years of service as Kuwait Foreign Minister and Prime Minister.[13] Under the leadership of the Emir, Kuwait has acted as a go-between for Pakistan and Bangladesh, Turkey and Bulgaria, Palestine and Jordan, factions in the civil war in Lebanon, and for all the Gulf States and Iran.[14] In 2016 the Emir hosted several UN-sponsored meetings of leaders from the warring factions in the Yemeni Civil War.[15]

The Emir quickly established Kuwait as the key mediator from the region in the Qatar diplomatic crisis, meeting with Saudi and Emirati officials on 6–7 June before leaving for Doha to discuss the rift with Qatari leaders.[13] His on-going efforts have been publicly supported by Qatar [16] and the other interested parties from the region as well as the US, UK, France and Germany.[14] At the beginning of September 2017, The Emir discussed the situation with top officials in Washington, including President Donald Trump who 'hailed his efforts' to mediate and 'applauded Kuwait’s “critical contributions to regional stability”'[17] There was some questioning from the boycotting countries regarding any preconditions.[18] President Emmanuel Macron of France stated French support for the Kuwaiti leader's mediation efforts following a meeting in Paris on 15 September 2017, reiterating June 2017 statements of support for the Kuwait led initiative.[19][20] Trump and the Kuwait's Amir had a third meeting, that took place in the Oval Office at The White House on September 5, 2018.[21]

Former President Jimmy Carter calls Sheikh Sabah a "global humanitarian leader" saying, "His support of disaster relief, peace efforts and advancing public health are an inspiration. Other world leaders can learn from the wise example set by my friend, His Highness the Emir."[22]

According to the 2014 Middle East Coutts Report, the Emir provided the largest individual donation in 2013 among GCC members in support of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries, amounting to US$300 million.[23] Also in 2014, The former United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, cited the Emir as a Humanitarian Leader globally and presented him with a Humanitarian Award recognizing this role.[24][25] Ban Ki-Moon further remarked "It gives me great pleasure and honour to be here today to recognize the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait. This is a great humanitarian day. We are sitting together with a great humanitarian leader of our world".[26]

In 2015, the Emir pledged a Kuwaiti donation of $500 million toward easing the Syrian humanitarian crisis at the UN Summit convened in Kuwait.[27]

In August 2017, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed gratitude for the Gulf country's leadership in humanitarian action, as well as the “dialogue […] and promotion of understanding Kuwait has shown in relation to all conflicts in the region,' adding, 'But it's not only the humanitarian leadership of Kuwait, it's the wisdom, the dialogue, the promotion of understanding that Kuwait has shown in relation to all conflicts in the region. Kuwait has no agenda. The agenda of Kuwait is peace; is understanding.”[28] Mr. Guterres further noted the positive role played by the Emir of Kuwait in the current GCC crisis.[29] and recalled that when he was High Commissioner for Refugees (June 2005 to December 2015[30]) the Emir presided over the three conferences to mobilize the international community to support the Syrian people.[31]

• 16 June 1929 – 13 July 2003: His Excellency Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
• 13 July 2003 – 30 January 2006: His Highness Sheikh Sabah ِAl-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait
• 30 January 2006 – present: His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait[32]

• Kuwait
  • Sovereign Grand Master of the Order of Mubarak the Great
  • Sovereign Grand Master of the Order of Kuwait
  • Sovereign Grand Master of the Order of National Defense
  • Sovereign Grand Master of the Military Duty Order[33]

• International Organization for Migration – IOM Humanitarian Medal (24 November 2014)[34]
•  United Nations – United Nations Humanitarian Leadership (9 September 2014)[35]
•  Albania – Honorary Citizen of Tirana, Albania (12 April 2008)[36]
•  Azerbaijan – Heydar Aliyev Order (14 June 2009)[37]
•  Italy – Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (26 April 2010)[38]
•  Spain – Collar of the Order of Civil Merit (23 May 2008)[39]
•  Albania – Skanderbeg's Order (Decorated by President of Albania BEmir Topi on 27 May 2012)[40]
•  Mexico – Order of the Aztec Eagle (20 January 2016)[41]
•  Turkey – Order of the State of Republic of Turkey (21 March 2017) [42]
•  United Kingdom - Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (27 November 2012)
•  Ukraine – First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (15 March 2018)[43]
•  Japan — Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, 2012