Mubarak Al-Sabah

Sheikh Mubarak bin Sabah Al-Sabah, universally remembered as Mubarak the Great (Mubarak al-Kabir), ascended as the seventh Ruler of Kuwait in 1896. Facing imminent threats of Ottoman direct annexation and regional tribal raids, he proved to be an exceptionally astute diplomatic strategist on the geopolitical stage.

In January 1899, Mubarak signed the landmark Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement, which guaranteed British naval protection in exchange for Kuwait conducting foreign policy through London, effectively preserving Kuwait's territorial integrity and sovereignty. He built Kuwait's customs administration, modernized the port, and laid the foundations of the modern Kuwaiti state.