emirate · Arabia and the Gulf
Sheikhdom of Kuwait
Origins
Clans of the Bani Utbah settled at Kuwait in the early 18th century under the protection of the Banu Khalid Emirate. Around 1752 they chose Sabah I as their leader, founding the Al Sabah dynasty that still rules.
Rule and society
Kuwait was a merchant town of pearl divers, dhow builders and long-distance traders to India and East Africa, governed by the ruler with the consent of leading merchant families. Mubarak al-Sabah, who took power in 1896, signed the Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement of 1899, placing Kuwait under British protection against Ottoman claims. The Uqair conference of 1922 set its borders with the Sultanate of Nejd.
Decline and legacy
Oil was discovered at Burgan in 1938 and exported from 1946, transforming the economy under Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah. Britain ended the 1899 agreement on 19 June 1961, and the State of Kuwait became independent.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Sheikhdom of Kuwait was a vassal of Banu Khalid Emirate1752 CE – 1780 CE
- Sheikhdom of Kuwait was a vassal of Ottoman Empire1871 CE – 1899 CE
- Sheikhdom of Kuwait was a protectorate of British Empire1899 CE – 1961 CE
More states of Arabia and the Gulf →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sheikhdom of Kuwait. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-kuwait
- MLA
- “Sheikhdom of Kuwait.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-kuwait. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Sheikhdom of Kuwait.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-kuwait.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sheikhdom of Kuwait’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-kuwait (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻