Ṣabāḥ dynasty

ruling family of Kuwait

Also known as: Āl Ṣabāḥ, Ṣabāḥ family

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Feb 26, 2025 • Article History

Or:: Āl Ṣabāḥ (“Ṣabāḥ family”)

News •

Kuwait celebrates 64th national day, touts ties with S. Korea • Feb. 23, 2025, 10:03 PM ET (Korea Herald)

Ṣabāḥ dynasty, Ruling family of Kuwait since 1756. In that year the Banū ʿUtūb, a group of families of the ʿAnizah tribe living in what is now Kuwait, appointed a member of the Ṣabāḥ family, Ṣabāḥ ibn Jābir (r. c. 1752–64), to be their ruler. The dynasty frequently depended politically or militarily on outsiders but maintained its autonomy. Its dependence on the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century was subsequently a cause for Iraq to claim hegemony over Kuwait. It later enjoyed the patronage of the United Kingdom and, more recently, the support of the U.S. Despite the existence of deliberative institutions in modern Kuwait, the dynasty retains absolute power.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Laura Etheredge.