KUWAIT: His Highness Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has been proclaimed Kuwait's new Amir to become the country’s 17th ruler, in line with the Emirate’s Succession Law, succeeding the late Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. His Highness Sheikh Mishal has been declared the Amir of Kuwait following a regular process of succession to the Amir’s post, a recurrence of the power transfer by the previous top rulers.

The newly-proclaimed Amir is one of the extraordinary men who were raised by the gracious Al-Sabah family, learning leadership skills from the sagacious seniors and the family’s shrewd politicians. HH Sheikh Mishal, over the past three years, has been the trusted top supporter of His Highness the Amir, partaking in decision-making, taking over the state leadership in his absence, bearing part of the responsibilities’ heavy burden, leading the country to be among the developed states, bolstering its security and prosperity.

The newly-designated Kuwait Amir had served in a number of security and military posts, including senior positions in the Ministry of Interior, the National Guards, and representing the top rulers on official occasions and during various diplomatic and political missions. HH Sheikh Mishal, born in Kuwait in 1940, is the seventh son of Kuwait’s 10th Ruler, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, who governed the country between 1921 and 1950.

In his early childhood, he was taught reading and writing by his parents and some seniors in the family before joining Al-Mubarakiya School, the first private school in Kuwait at the time. He continued higher-level studies in the UK, where he graduated from Hendon Police College in 1960. After returning home, he joined the newly-established Ministry of Interior. In 1987, he was appointed public inspection chief with a colonel’s rank and remained in the department for up to 20 years, occupying diverse posts.

On April 13, 2004, HH Sheikh Mishal was appointed, according to an Amiri decree, the Deputy Chief of the National Guards with a Minister’s Degree. He contributed to overhauling this sensitive security apparatus and enhanced its role in maintaining national security. HH Sheikh Mishal had repeatedly affirmed the National Guards’ keenness on backing the army, the police, and the fire force for defending and maintaining the country’s security and stability, as well as securing key installations.

On October 8, 2020, HH Sheikh Mishal was proclaimed as the Crown Prince during a special session of the National Assembly, where he took the constitutional oath in front of the MPs after a swearing-in ceremony in front of the late Amir, according to the Emirate Succession Law and Kuwait Constitution. Addressing the MPs, HH Sheikh Mishal said during the session that public participation would be part of his ruling policy and pledged to boost a spirit of amity, tolerance, and divisions’ renunciation among the citizens.

He also vowed to ensure a bright future for Kuwait with a democracy of stability, placing the national interests above all other considerations on the basis of the Constitution and justice. HH Sheikh Mishal has always advocated bolstering cooperation between the executive and legislative authorities to attain the aspired goals, taking agile steps to attain the objectives of the sagacious leadership and the Kuwaiti people, and that is through development in the key sectors.

HH Sheikh Mishal, after the proclamation, devoted much of his attention to local affairs amid shutdowns witnessed throughout the world after the flare-up of the Corona virus. He followed up on measures to minimize the effects of the pandemic at the domestic level. In this vein, he guided various authorities and associations to perform the special tasks. HH Sheikh Mishal has regularly held meetings with ordinary citizens who would express complaints or talk about their needs.

At the Gulf level, HH Sheikh Mishal has adopted his predecessors’ path, keenly cementing relations with brotherly countries and cooperating with their leaders regarding regional issues and Arab and global affairs, namely the need to maintain security and stability in the Gulf and tackling occasional rifts among the regional countries. Following the steps of his predecessors, HH Sheikh Mishal has maintained close relations with Arab states, and his efforts at this level were tangibly fruitful, particularly with respect to strengthening the Arabs’ ranks. In addition to the posts he had occupied, HH Sheikh Mishal was granted honorary positions.

He was designated as an honorary chairperson of the Kuwait Aircraft Engineers and Pilots Association (1973–2017). Moreover, he was a co-founder and the honorary head of the Kuwait Association for Wireless Amateurs. In 1977, the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah named HH Sheikh Mishal the chairman of Al-Nabat Poets Diwaniya. On December 4, 2018, the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Barely, decorated him with the Legion of Honor Medal for his prime role in developing Kuwait and establishing solid ties with Paris. - KUNA