Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah

Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah (1926-2006), emir of Kuwait (1977-2006).

Sheikh Jaber was the son of Ahmad I, ruler of Kuwait from 1921 to 1950. In his early life, Jaber studied with tutors; later he was educated at the Mubarakiya School in Kuwait. He took his first government post as head of public security at age 23 and later held a series of posts that allowed him to develop an expertise in finance and development. In 1963 he became deputy prime minister and minister of financial affairs, and in 1965 he was named minister of commerce. When his father's cousin Sabah III became emir later that year, Jaber became prime minister.

Sabah III died in 1977 and Jaber, the heir apparent, became emir. As emir Jaber oversaw the development of more than 6,400 km (more than 4,000 mi) of roads in Kuwait and maintained the oil-financed budget surplus that Kuwait has enjoyed since 1973. He was the object of a 1985 assassination attempt, which failed.

In 1990 Iraq's invasion of Kuwait forced Jaber to flee the country and govern in exile. After being restored to power during the Persian Gulf War (1991), Jaber instituted a controversial policy of expelling Palestinian residents, some of whom were accused of collaborating with Iraqi forces. After the war Kuwait strengthened ties with Saudi Arabia and the United States and gained land as a result of war reparations from Iraq. Jaber was known for his support of female equality and achieved a longtime goal in 2005 when the Kuwaiti National Assembly granted full political rights for women.