FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT

Official name

State of Kuwait

Form of state

Constitutional emirate

Head of state

The emir, chosen from the Al Sabah family. Currently Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jabr al-Sabah, who acceded in February 2006

Legal system

Based on the constitution of 1962, as amended or suspended by emiri decree

Legislature

Unicameral National Assembly of 50 elected members plus 15 cabinet ministers. The Assembly has been dissolved five times by emiri decree, most recently in March 2009

National elections

The next election is scheduled on May 16th 2009 (previous election May 17th 2008)

Political groupings

Political parties are not allowed, but there are various groupings: the Sunni Islamist Islamic Salafi Alliance and Islamic Constitutional Movement (Muslim Brotherhood); the Shia Islamist National Islamic Alliance and Justice and Peace Alliance; and secular groupings such as the centrist Popular Action Bloc and the liberal National Democratic Alliance. Most MPs sit as independents, and many are loyal primarily to tribal interests

Executive

Power is exercised by the emir through a Council of Ministers (cabinet) headed by a prime minister chosen by the emir

Council of Ministers (acting)

Crown prince: Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed al-Jabr al-Sabah

Prime minister & defence minister: Sheikh Jabr al-Mubarak al-Hamed al-Sabah

Deputy prime minister & foreign minister: Sheikh Mohammed Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah

Deputy prime minister & minister of state for cabinet affairs: Faisal al-Hajji

Key ministers

Communications, electricity & water: Nabil bin Salamah

Education & higher education: Nuriya al-Subih

Finance: Mustafa Jassem al-Shamali

Health: Roudhan al-Roudhan

Housing & administrative development: Mudhi al-Humoud

Information: Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled al-Hamed al-Sabah

Interior: Sheikh Jabr al-Khaled al-Jabr al-Sabah

Justice, awqaf & Islamic affairs: Hussein al-Huraiti

Oil: Sheikh Ahmed al-Abdullah al-Sabah

Public works & municipal affairs: Fadhil Safar

Social affairs & labour: Badr al-Duwaila

Trade & industry & minister of state for National Assembly affairs: Ahmed Baqer

National Assembly speaker

Jassem al-Khorafi

Head of emiri diwan

Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah

Central Bank governor

Sheikh Salem Abdel-Aziz al-Sabah