LOCALSATURDAY, MAY 13, 2017

KUWAIT: Kuwait marks today the ninth anniversary of thedeath of the late Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah who passed away on May 13, 2008, leavingbehind a legacy that is still alive in the hearts of the Kuwaitipeople. Sheikh Saad was the 14th Amir of Kuwait and thefourth Amir of the country after its independence in 1961, hewas Crown Prince during the reign of the late Amir SheikhJaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (1978-2006).

He served as deputy director of the police departmentbetween 1954 and 1959 before being nominated as the firstMinister of Interior on January 17, 1962 in the first Cabinet fol-lowing the adoption of the Constitution.

The Father Amir was named as Defense Minister in 1964while retaining his post as Minister of Interior; he served asPrime Minister between February 16, 1978 and July 13, 2003,leading 10 consecutive governments.

Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah contributed to the making of keylegislations and laws relating to housing welfare, promotion ofthe national workforce, the economic and urban develop-ment, as well as the social, cultural and scientific affairs. Headopted honorable stances that affirmed the country’s inde-pendence and won him great popularity since 1961 whenthen Iraqi leader Abdulkarim Qassim issued threats for Kuwait.

As head of the executive authority at that time, he lobbiedpublic support for the late Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem inthe face of the Iraqi threats. When late Amir Jaber Al-Ahmadtook office on February 8, 1978, Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah was

named as Prime Minister ten days before being named asCrown Prince. Sheikh Saad was deservedly called ‘hero of lib-eration’ due to his prominent role in the Kuwait liberation waragainst the Iraqi invasion in 1991. Besides lobbying for the lib-eration of the country on the regional and international levels,he took charge of coordinating the public resistance againstthe invaders through daily contacts with the field leaders andensuring the logistic, material and moral support to them.

Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah was the first advocate for the pop-ular congress held under his leadership in Jeddah, SaudiArabia, on October 13-15, 1990, to coordinate the resistanceagainst the invasion. The congress, themed ‘liberation - ourslogan, means and end,’ gathered 1,200 public figures and anumber of foreign friends of Kuwait. The late Amir SheikhJaber Al-Ahmad and Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah addressed thegathering. Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah was named as acting rulerduring the martial rule declared in the country during the lib-eration war until the autumn of 1991.

He continued his efforts to prepare the ground for thereturn of the displaced Kuwaitis to their homes after the large-scale post-war mine-erasing operation. He personally super-vised the efforts to resume the public utilities, the foodrations, the reconstruction and the rehabilitation processes, aswell as the seven-month battle against the fires at 732 oilwells, which were set ablaze by the Iraqi troops before pullingout from Kuwait. His government in the post-war era focusedalso on restoration of the parliamentary life through settingthe stage for legislative elections.

Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah spared no effort to secure the

release of the Kuwaiti prisoners of war and missing in actionand scaled lobbying for regional and international pressureson the Iraqi regime to solve this humanitarian issue. On thisday the children of Kuwait remember this great leader whodedicated his life for serving the homeland and left countlessheroic actions. — KUNA

Kuwait marks 9th anniversary ofSheikh Saad Al-Abdullah’s death

KUWAIT: In this May 13, 2008 file photo, citizens carry the late Father Amir Sheikh SaadAl-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah to his final resting place. — KUNA photos

Funeral of late Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah.

The late Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-SalemAl-Sabah

The Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, who left a legacy in the hearts of his people.

The late Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-SalemAl-Sabah laid to rest.

Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah’sfuneral procession.