Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah (Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah), 1929–2020, emir of Kuwait (2006–20). He held a number of government posts, including foreign minister (1963–2003) and deputy prime minister (1978–2003), before being named prime minister (2003) and becoming emir (2006). He sought closer ties with Iraq following the downfall of Saddam Hussein, and later served as a mediator in a dispute between other Arab states and Qatar. Widely seen as the architect of Kuwait's nonaligned foreign policy, he allowed increased freedom of the press and some engagement of the public in affairs of the state, including tolerating protests in 2011 during the Arab Spring. He was succeeded by Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, his half brother.
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