Meet the faces of Kuwait’s new government led by Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah

Below are the biographies of the members of the newly formed government:

• Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah, Kuwait’s new PM

Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah, Kuwait’s new Prime Minister was born in 1952 and pursued his education at the Oriental School and later the American Boarding School in Lebanon. His academic journey continued in the United States, where he enrolled at the University of Illinois and specialized in bank financing and investments, earning his degree in 1976.

His professional career began at the Kuwait Financial Center until 1978, followed by a tenure at the Central Bank where he rose to the position of Director of the Banking Supervision Department until 1987. During this time, he also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Burgan Bank from 1987 to 1998.

In July 1999, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah was appointed Minister of Finance and Minister of Transportation. Subsequently, he served as Minister of Transportation from February 14, 2001, onwards.

His responsibilities expanded on July 14, 2003, when he took on the roles of Minister of Transportation, Minister of Planning, and Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs. He also assumed dual roles as Minister of Transportation and Minister of Health on June 15, 2005.

Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah was appointed Minister of Oil on February 9, 2009. His portfolio expanded further on May 29, 2009, when he took on the additional responsibility of Minister of Information alongside his role in the oil sector.

His leadership journey culminated in his appointment as Head of the Court of His Highness the Crown Prince on September 20, 2021, as approved by the Council of Ministers.

•  Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef, First Deputy PM

Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef, who currently serves as the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Acting Minister of Interior was born in 1959. He graduated from the Military College in Kuwait.

Following his graduation, Al-Yousef initially served as an officer in the esteemed Amiri Guard. Over the years, he steadily climbed the ranks and his service culminated in his retirement with the esteemed rank of Colonel.

In January 2024, Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef assumed the pivotal roles of Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Acting Minister of Interior.

• Sharida Al-Maousherji, Deputy PM

Sharida Al-Maousherji, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, was born in Kuwait in 1952. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Kuwait University, earned in 1974, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hartford, USA, obtained in 1980.

From 1983 to 1993, he served as the Assistant Secretary-General for Administrative, Financial, and Technical Affairs in the National Assembly, followed by his appointment as the Secretary-General of the National Assembly from 1993 to 2007.

In 2007, he assumed the positions of Minister of Transportation and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs. In 2012, he served as the Minister of Justice and Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs. Currently, he holds the role of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs since January 2024.

• Dr. Imad Al-Ateeqi, Minister of Oil

Dr. Imad Al-Ateeqi, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil, has an extensive academic and professional background. He obtained a master’s degree and a doctorate in chemical engineering from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, USA, in 1985. He then joined Kuwait University as a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the College of Engineering and Petroleum.

During his career, Dr. Al-Ateeqi held several significant positions. He served as the Director of the Petroleum, Petrochemicals, and Materials Department at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research from 1988 to 1990. Subsequently, he worked as the Director of the Research Department at Kuwait University from 1991 to 1994 and later served as the Dean of the College of Engineering and Petroleum at Kuwait University from 1998 to 2000.

From 2003 to 2010, Dr. Al-Ateeqi was the founding Secretary-General of the General Secretariat of the Council of Private Universities. He also held the position of President of the American University of the Middle East in Kuwait from 2011 to 2018.

Additionally, Dr. Al-Ateeqi contributed significantly to Kuwait’s energy sector as a member of the Supreme Petroleum Council from 1990 to 2013. During his tenure, he chaired the Strategy Committee and participated in various technical committees. He has authored more than 80 research papers focusing on engineering, simulation, and control of oil refining, as well as the analysis and economics of refining, petrochemicals, and other chemical processes. These papers have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, conference proceedings, and specialized books. Dr. Al-Ateeqi assumed the role of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil in January 2024.

• Abdul Rahman Al-Mutairi, Minister of Information and Culture

Abdul Rahman Al-Mutairi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Supportive Psychology and Political Science from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Kuwait University. He served as Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs in December 2020 and continued in the same role in the government formed in March 2021. On October 16, 2022, he was reappointed to the same position.

In April 2023, he was once again reappointed to the same position. In June 2023, a decree was issued appointing him as Minister of Information and Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs. In January 2024, he was appointed as Minister of Information and Culture. Additionally, he has held the position of Director General of the General Youth Authority since 2016.

Previously, he served as Assistant Undersecretary for the Youth Development Sector in the Office of the Minister of State for Youth Affairs from 2014 to 2015. He also worked as the Director of the Technical Office in the Office of the Minister of Information in 2012. In 2011, he was a monitor at the Office of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information, and from 2004 to 2007, he served as the media attaché to the Kuwaiti Media Office in Rabat.

• Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadhi, Minister of Health

Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadhi holds a doctorate degree in pediatrics (Kuwait Board) from the Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialties. He earned a Doctorate in Medicine (MD) from the Arabian Gulf University in the Kingdom of Bahrain and a Bachelor’s degree in basic sciences from the same university. He was appointed Minister of Health on October 16, 2022.

In April 2023, he was reappointed to the same position. In June 2023 and January 2024, decrees were issued reappointing him to the same position.

He has extensive experience as a pediatric consultant and director at Wara Hospital in the private sector. Additionally, he has worked as the director of the Kuwait Cancer Control Center in the Al-Sabah Specialized Medical District and as the Director of the Palliative Care Center in the same region. He has also held roles as the Director of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Acting Director of the Jahra Health District, and Director of Al-Jahra Hospital.

• Dr. Anwar Al-Mudhaf, Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investment

Dr. Anwar Al-Mudhaf holds a PhD from Claremont Graduate University in the United States of America and a Master’s in Business Administration from the same university. He has been serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ahli United Bank – Kuwait since April 27, 2014, and has been a member of the Board of Directors of Ahli United Bank in Bahrain since March 22, 2023. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Governors of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

He has been actively involved in economic initiatives, including being a member of the economic work team to confront the effects of the global crisis on the Kuwaiti economy. In January 2024, he assumed the roles of Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investment.

• Dr. Adel Al-Adwani, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Dr. Adel Al-Adwani holds a PhD from the University of South Africa, specializing in information systems. He was a faculty member in the Department of Information Systems and Operations Management at the College of Administrative Sciences at Kuwait University.

He began his professional career in 1996, working in the Department of Business Administration at Kuwait University as an Assistant Professor. In 2000, he was promoted to Associate Professor, and in 2005, he achieved the rank of Professor, a position he still holds.

Dr. Al-Adwani also served as Deputy Director of Kuwait University for Academic Support Services from 2006 to 2008. In January 2024, he assumed the roles of Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

• Abdullah Al-Yahya, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Abdullah Al-Yahya, born in 1966, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western Oregon State University in the United States, which he earned in 1988. He assumed the role of Assistant Secretary of State for Administrative and Financial Affairs in August 2023.

His career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began in 1995, where he initially served as a diplomatic attaché in the Kuwaiti mission to the Federal Republic of Germany. He later took on the role of Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Saud Al-Nasser Kuwait Diplomatic Institute, a position he held until 2018.

In the same year, he was appointed as the Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Argentina.

Additionally, he was designated as a non-resident ambassador to Paraguay in 2019 and as an assigned ambassador to Eastern Uruguay in the same year. Abdullah Al-Yahya assumed the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs in January 2024.

• Dr. Noura Al-Mashaan, Minister of Public Works and Minister of Municipality

Dr. Noura Al-Mashaan, born in 1981, holds a doctorate in civil engineering from Johns Hopkins University in the United States of America. She also possesses two master’s degrees in engineering, one from Johns Hopkins University and the other from Kuwait University. Additionally, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Kuwait University.

Dr. Al-Mashaan serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the College of Engineering and Petroleum at Kuwait University. She is also an engineering consultant at the Kuwait Ports Corporation. Furthermore, she chairs the Consulting and Training Committee in the Civil Engineering Department at Kuwait University and is a member of the Supreme Committee of the International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure Challenges.

She has published numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers in accredited fields, participated in international and local engineering conferences, and received awards. Dr. Noura Al-Mashaan is a member of various international and local specialized societies. Additionally, she holds the position of Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs as of January 2024.

• Dr. Muhammad Al-Wasmi, Minister of Justice and Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs

Dr. Muhammad Al-Wasmi is an Associate Professor of Commercial and Maritime Law at the Faculty of Law, Kuwait University. He earned his Doctorate in Philosophy of Law from Brunel University, United Kingdom, in 2012. Prior to that, he obtained a Master’s degree in International Trade Law from London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom, in 2006, and a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Kuwait University’s Faculty of Law in 2001.

• Omar Al-Omar, Minister of Trade and Industry and Minister of State for Communications Affairs

Omar Al-Omar was born in 1966. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Sacramento, USA, earned in 1994.

He held several administrative positions at the General Investment Authority as an internal auditor, overseeing the companies affiliated with the Investment Authority and funds in the local and international markets. From 2013 to 2015, he served as the CEO of Zain Kuwait.

Currently, he is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority, a position he has held since August 2022.

• Dr. Mahmoud Bushahri, Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy and Minister of State for Housing Affairs

Dr. Mahmoud Bushahri holds a doctorate in economics with a supporting specialization in statistics from North Carolina State University in the United States, awarded in 2001. He served as the Director of the Quantitative Methods and Modeling Department at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and later as the Director of the Studies and Capital Markets Development Department at the Capital Markets Authority.

He has held numerous advisory positions within the country and chaired various research projects focusing on energy, water, consumer and production support systems, reforming public economic and financial policies, and developing financial markets.

Dr. Bushahri has actively participated in numerous local and international conferences, either as a speaker or as a member of higher organizational and scientific committees. Additionally, he was a visiting researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the years 2010-2011.

• Dr. Mathal Al-Huwaila, Minister of Social Affairs, Labor, Family and Childhood Affairs and Minister of State for Youth Affairs

Dr. Mathal Al-Huwaila earned a Doctorate in Cognitive Psychology from the Faculty of Arts at Cairo University in 2008. Prior to that, he completed a Master’s in Clinical Psychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Kuwait University, in 2001, and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the same university’s Faculty of Social Sciences in 1987.

Currently, he serves in the Department of Psychology at Kuwait University’s Faculty of Social Sciences as an Assistant Professor specializing in Cognitive Psychology. Additionally, he supervises several Master’s and Doctoral theses at Kuwait University.