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Kuwait’s New Cabinet Takes Oath | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Kuwaiti former Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Khaled al-Sabah (C), seen in July 2016, was moved to the defence ministry ©YASSER AL-ZAYYAT (AFP/File)


Kuwait – The newly elected government took oath before Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and is expected to wait for confidence-vote from the National Council.

The 34th government is chaired by Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak and formed of 15 ministers.

Sheikh Sabah hosted the newly-formed Cabinet at the Amiri Airport, where Sheikh Jaber presented the new ministers.

The Amir praised the tremendous efforts exerted by the prime minister to form the new Cabinet, and the efforts exerted by the ministers for bearing such a responsibility with all dedication and loyalty, hoping they will be successful in performing their duties.

Sheikh Sabah addressed the new ministers saying:“Great responsibilities and ambitious economic aspirations sought by the homeland and citizens are awaiting you, which requires tremendous efforts to be harnessed to speed up the pace of development in the country”.

Sheikh Sabah added that this will only be achieved through working as a team, positive cooperation between the legislative and executive authorities as well as mutual keenness to tackle issues of citizens’ concerns.

The Amir expressed his confident in the ministers’ ability to bear the responsibility, urging them to work on resolving problems affecting the citizens and facilitating tasks, according to laws and regulations. 

The Cabinet comprises of the following ministers: Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Anas Nasser Al-Saleh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Hind Barrak Al-Sabeeh, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor as well as Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Yaser Abul, Minister of State for Housing Affairs and Minister of State for Utilities, Jamal Mansour Al-Harbi, the Minister of Health, Khaled Nasser Abdullah Al-Roudan, the Minister Commerce and Industry, Abdulrahman Abdulkareem Al-Mutawa’, the as Minister Public Works, Essam Abdulmohsen Al-Marzouq, Minister Electricity and Water as well as the Minister of Oil, Faleh Abdullah Al-Azeb, Minister Justice and the Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs, Mohammad Abdulatif Al-Fares, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education, Mohammad Nasser Al-Jabri, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs as well as Minister of State for the Municipality.

The newly-formed cabinet, named by the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah Saturday, is the 34th in the history of Kuwait since 1962 and the Premier’s sixth since he was named Prime Minister in December 2011.

According to Article 56 of the Kuwaiti Constitution: “The Amir shall appoint the Prime Minister after the traditional consultations and shall relieve him from his post. He shall also appoint the Ministers and relieve them from their posts on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.”

“The entire number of Ministers shall not exceed one third the number of the members of the National Assembly,” Article 56 reads.

The first cabinet in the history of Kuwait was chaired by the late Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah in January of 1962.

The second, third and fourth cabinets were chaired by the late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah – the 12th ruler of Kuwait – from January 1963 to November 1965.

The 13th ruler of the country, the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, was in charge of the cabinet from December 1965 to December 1977. In his duration, he covered the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth governments.

The late Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah governed 11 governments – the longest ruling of a prime minister in the history of the country.

Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah chaired the 10th to the 20th cabinets in a period that extended from 1978 to 2001.

In 2003, the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah took charge of the 21st government.

This followed by the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th cabinets that were under the presidency of Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah – from 2006 to 2011.

Since December 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak have been head of the government. He chaired the 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd and newly-named cabinet – the 34th.

The smallest cabinet in the history of Kuwait was that of 2011. It comprised of only 10 ministers. While the largest cabinet in the history of the country was that of 1990, consisting of 22 ministers.

The new cabinet is required to be submitted to a vote of confidence in parliament.