Kuwait witnessed the formation of 36 governments over 57 years, the last of which was the one formed Tuesday headed by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and included 15 ministers.
The first government was called the transitional cabinet, it was formed on January 17, 1962, and chaired by the late Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem, consisting of 14 ministers, and it has a specific mandate, writing a constitution, thus ended with the end of its task on January 27, 1963.
The second government, formed on January 28, 1963, was chaired by Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and consisted of 15 ministers including current Amir His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who was named Foreign Minister for the first time. The third government was formed on December 6 1964, also chaired by Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem, consisting of 14 ministers, four of them were MPs. This government survived for 28 days only because it failed to win confidence of the National Assembly due to constitutional measures regarding the selection of some ministers.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem chaired the fourth government that was formed on January 3 1965 and included 13 ministers. The fifth government was formed on December 4, 1965, and was chaired by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. This government consisted of 13 ministers including three MPs. His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was given the Portfolios of Finance, Oil and Foreign Affairs. This government resigned at the end of the legislative term, February 3, 1967.
The sixth cabinet was formed on February 4, 1967, also chaired by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah. It was consisted of 14 ministers including three MPs, served for four years until February 1971, at end of the parliamentary legislative term.
The seventh government, which also served a full four-year term, was formed on February 2 1971. Chaired by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, this cabinet includes 13 ministers. Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah formed the following cabinet, the eighth, on February 9 1975, included of 15 ministers and it served for 19 months only and ended a month after the dissolution of the parliament in August 1976.
The ninth government, formed while the parliament was dissolved on September 6, 1976, was chaired by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and consisted of 18 ministers. This government ended in December 1978 after the passing away of then Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem AlSabah. Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, then Crown Prince and Prime Minister, was named as Amir.
The 10th government was formed on February 16, 1978 and chaired by then Crown Prince Sheikh Saad AlAbdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. The cabinet consisted of 18 ministers and served until March 3 1981 when new elections were announced. The 11th government was formed on March 4 1981 and chaired by Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, consisting of 15 ministers including one MP, the cabinet served a full four-year term up until March 2 1982, ahead of parliamentary elections.
The 12th government was formed on March 1985 and chaired by Sheikh Saad. The cabinet served for 16 months only due to deterioration of relations between executive and legislative authorities, which forced parliament’s dissolution in 1986, triggering the government’s resignation on July 11 of this year.
The 13th government was formed in the following day and consisted of 21 ministers. Sheikh Saad formed the 14th government with 22 ministers on June 20 1990. This government continued in office despite the August 2, 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, and was functioning from the Saudi City of Taef until the liberation in February 1991. The 15th government, the first after liberation, was dubbed the “government of reconstruction.” It was formed on April 20 of that year and consisted 20 ministers. The government lasted until October 16, 1992, when new parliamentary elections were held.
The 16th government, formed on October 17 1992, was chaired by Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem AlSabah and consisted of 15 ministers including six MPs. The 17th government was formed on October 15 of the same year. Chaired by Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah, the government consisted of 14 ministers including four MPs. The government resigned on March 21 1998 after a no-confidence motion was tabled against then information minister Sheikh Saud Nasser Al-Sabah.
The following government, the 18th, was formed by Sheikh Saad on March 22 1998. It served for 15 months and resigned on July 12, 1999, in the wake of an Amiri decree to dissolve the parliament.The 19th cabinet, formed on July 13 of 1999, was chaired by Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah.
The government resigned on January 2001 after relations with the parliament deteriorated when former MP Hussein Al-Qallaf requested the interpellation of Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Dr. Saad AlHashel. Sheikh Saad chaired the 20th government on February 14 2001. However the cabinet was formed by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah because Sheikh Saad had to leave the country for treatment. Sheikh Sabah selected 15 ministers including three MPs. The 21st government was formed on July 14, 2003, by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad because the post of Crown Prince was separated from the post of Prime Minister for the first time. This government served until February 8, 2006, in the wake of passing away of Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
The 22nd government was formed by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Sabah on February 9, 2006. This government, which consisted of 15 ministers, lasted for five months only due to parliament’s dissolution that was caused by an interpellation against the Prime Minister over the electoral districts. His Highness Sheikh Nasser, following the parliamentary elections, formed the 23th government on July 10 2006. Minister of Health Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Sabah was grilled and a no confidence motion was tabled against him thus triggering the government’s resignation on March 4, 2007.
The 24th government was formed by His Highness Sheikh Nasser on March 25, 2007, and resigned on May 19, 2008, in the wake of the dissolution of the National Assembly. His Highness Sheikh Nasser formed the 25th government on May 28 2008. However, the extremely tense relations between the legislative and executive authorities caused by an interpellation against the Prime Minister forced the government to resign on November 25 2008. His Highness the Amir accepted the resignation and the government continued as caretaker until January 22, 2009.
The 26th government was formed by His Highness Sheikh Nasser on January 23 of the same year and resigned after four months. The 27th government formed by His Highness Sheikh Nasser on May 29 and served for two years. It resigned following the growing number of interpellations. His Highness Sheikh Nasser was reassigned to form the 28th government that consisted of 15 ministers including one MP.
On December 13, 2001, His Highness Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah formed his first government, the country’s 29th. This caretaker government was mandated with organizing elections and its term expired on February 13 2012. His Highness Sheikh Jaber formed the 30th government the following day.
However, this government was dropped because the Constitutional Court annulled parliamentary elections. The government resigned on July 18, 2012. His Highness the Prime Minister formed the 31st government on July 19 2012 with 13 ministers. This cabinet lasted for four months due to parliament’s dissolution.
The 32nd government was formed by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber on December 11 2012. It served for seven months until the Constitutional Court’s annulled parliamentary elections that took place in the same month. Elections were held on July 27 2013. The 33rd government was formed on August 4 last year, and ministers tendered their resignations after the Constitutional Court rejected all lawsuits against the legitimacy of the parliamentary elections.
The thirty-fourth government was formed on December 10, 2016 headed by His Highness Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, consisted of 15 ministers, including one MP. The thirty-fifth government was formed on December 11, 2017 under the chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Jaber Mubarak, consisted of 15 ministers, including one MP.
The thirty-sixth government was formed on December 17, 2019, headed by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, consisted of 15 ministers, including two MPs, along with the return of seven ministers from (2017 government) and the entry of three women in the new ministerial formation.