Departure of the first Central Bank Governor, Hamzah Abbas Mirza Hussein

Kuwait has lost Hamzah Abbas Mirza Hussein, the first Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait and one of the pioneers of economic and banking work, following a distinguished career spanning decades of service to the national economy, monetary affairs, and planning. The late’s name is closely associated with a pivotal phase in the history of Kuwait’s monetary sector, as he was among the founding generation, leading the Central Bank of Kuwait during years that solidified the institution’s role and saw the development of the banking sector, leaving behind a professional career marked by significant economic and banking milestones.

The deceased was born in the Sharq district of Kuwait in 1934. He received his early education at Al-Mubarakiya School before enrolling at the American University of Beirut, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1958. He continued his postgraduate studies at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, from 1960 to 1962, and also received training at the Bank of England, before embarking on a career that spanned decades in the banking and economic fields.

He served as Secretary of the Kuwait Monetary Agency from 1963 to 1968, before taking on the role of Deputy Governor of Kuwait to the International Monetary Fund. In 1968, he was appointed Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait, concurrently performing the duties of Governor. In 1983, he was appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait, becoming the first person to hold this position, and leaving a prominent mark on the history of banking and monetary work in Kuwait.

Al-Qabas extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased, praying to Almighty God to envelop him in His vast mercy and to grant his loved ones patience and solace.