A01292 - Saad al-Abdullah al-Salim al-Sabah, The Black Emir of Kuwait

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (Arabic: Saʿad al-ʿAbdullah as-Salim as-Sabah) (b. 1930 – d. May 13, 2008, Kuwait City, Kuwait) was the Emir of Kuwait and Commander of the Kuwait Military Forces during a short reign of nine days (January 15-24, 2006), succeeding Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. 

Saad was a general commander in the Military of Kuwait. In addition, Saad was the first to head the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior until February 16, 1978, and the first military officer to head the Ministry of Defense since 1964.

Saad, who was born in 1930, belonged to the Al-Salem branch of the Al-Sabah family and was eldest son of Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, who ruled Kuwait from 1950 to 1965.  Saad's mother was an enslaved Ethiopian until his father married her. He attended the Mubarakiya school in Kuwait and Hendon Police College in North London. 

Saad debuted his career as the first military officer to head the ministry of interior and ministry of defense in 1962 and 1964, respectively. He served as the general commander of the Directorate of Public Security Force and the Directorate of Police from 1961 to 1962. 

Following the formation of the third Kuwaiti government on  December 6, 1964, Saad was appointed both minister of interior and of defense simultaneously and held both posts until 1978. On February 16, 1978, he became Crown Prince and held the post until July 13, 2006.

Saad was the leader involved in liberating Kuwait from Saddam's regime. Saad refused to deal with any of Iraq's ministers attempting to compromise the security of the country during the exile of Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. 

Saad suffered from colon disease, which led to speculation that he would refuse the Emirship. A declaration in November 2005 refuted such speculation, and Saad took office as Emir on January 15, 2006, upon Jaber's death.

However, Saad attended Jaber's funeral in a wheelchair, and his continued health problems caused some to question his ability to rule. Some members of the National Assembly expressed concern that Saad would not be able to deliver the oath of office scheduled for January 24, 2006.

On January 24, 2006, the National Assembly voted Saad out of office, moments before an official letter of abdication was received. The Kuwait Cabinet nominated Prime Minister Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah to take over as Emir.

Saad died on May 13, 2008, aged 78, at Shaab Palace in Kuwait City from a heart attack.

Married to his cousin, Sheikha Latifa Fahad Al-Sabah, Saad had five daughters, Maryam, Hessa, Jamayel, Sheikha and Fadya, and one son, Fahad. One of his daughters, Sheikha, controlled international marketing at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC).  Until late August 1998, Sheikha was the executive assistant managing director for international marketing at the body. Another daughter, Hessa, was elected as vice president of the Arab-Italian chamber of commerce in October 2012. She was also the head of the Arab women's business council and representative of Kuwait in the Chamber's general assembly session.

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Saad al-Sabah, Ex-Emir of Kuwait, Dies at 78

By Agence France-Presse

• May 14, 2008

KUWAIT (Agence France-Presse) — Sheik Saad Abdullah al-Sabah, briefly the emir of Kuwait, has died after a long illness, the royal court announced on Tuesday in a statement broadcast by state television. He was 78.

Sheik Saad was already ailing when he succeeded to the throne in 2006 after the death of his predecessor, Sheik Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah. He stepped down nine days later, after rivals from another branch of the family and opposition within Parliament created a political crisis.

Born in 1930, Sheik Saad was the eldest son of Sheik Abdullah al-Salem al-Sabah, the 11th emir of Kuwait. He was Kuwait’s crown prince from 1977 to 2006. He was also prime minister from 1977 to 2003, when he gave up the post because of poor health.

Sheik Saad received his basic education in Kuwait, then took courses at Hendon Police College in London until 1954.

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He held various posts in the Kuwaiti police and public security services until 1959, when he was appointed deputy director of the police and public security department. He remained in that post until 1961.

In January 1962, Sheik Saad was appointed interior minister in the first Kuwaiti cabinet after it became independent from Britain. In 1964, he was also put in charge of national defense.

In 1997, he underwent colon surgery, and since then he had traveled repeatedly to Britain and the United States for tests and treatment.

He was married to his cousin Sheikha Latifa. His survivors include one son, Fahd, and three daughters. Two other daughters died before him.