Media from Our Municipality (5) - 1: Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah... The Man of the Wall and the State

Good morning; the Al Sabah family is one with deep roots, noble lineage, and a distinguished origin, stretching back into the depths of history. People have known it for its chivalry, generosity, loyalty, and steadfastness, as well as for its good conduct and lasting positive legacy. For this reason, I began with you, and from you the journey started; thus, the selection of the Al Sabah family as the inaugural subject of this series of media programs from my country reflects gratitude to a family whose name is intertwined with Kuwait’s history, and which has maintained a firm presence and enduring impact throughout its trajectory. Since the great family is known for both its men and women, I chose to begin with its prominent figures—those who have left imprints on Kuwait’s path that deserve to be recounted, biographies worthy of being revived, and achievements worthy of remaining in the memory of the nation and future generations.

Episode One: The Child Who Guarded the Walls

The story begins in Kuwait’s history with men whose names became associated with a particular era, and men whose lives were linked to the journey of an entire nation. Among them is Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. However, Abdullah Al-Mubarak’s story does not start in the palace, nor in the office of the deputy ruler, nor in the leadership of the army and security forces. It starts at the walls, in the Kuwait that was surrounded and protected by its walls, and with a child who grew up believing that protecting the homeland is not merely a slogan, but a responsibility borne by men.

Abdullah Al-Mubarak was about twelve years old when he participated in guarding one of the gates of Kuwait’s wall during the reign of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Dr. Suad Al-Sabah recalls in her writings that this early experience was among the milestones that introduced him to the meaning of responsibility and love for the homeland. A young boy, standing in a place that represented Kuwaitis’ first line of defense for their city. Perhaps the most beautiful irony in his story is that the child who began by guarding Kuwait’s walls would grow up to become one of the men who assumed the responsibility of protecting the state.

Kuwait in the Era of Ahmad Al-Jaber

To understand Abdullah Al-Mubarak, we must understand the Kuwait in which he grew up. During the reign of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait lived between two eras: the era of old Kuwait—the Kuwait shaped by trade, the sea, pearl diving, and horsemanship, where the bonds among its people and their solidarity were essential to its security—and a new era whose features were gradually emerging: an era of modern administration, expanding state responsibilities, changing sources of wealth and power, and the need for more organized institutions.

In this environment, Abdullah Al-Mubarak grew up. He was not distant from old Kuwait; rather, he was its son, carrying its values of courage, chivalry, generosity, and loyalty. Yet, at the same time, he belonged to the generation that would usher Kuwait into a new world. Here lies the importance of what Dr. Suad Al-Sabah presented in “Falcon of the Gulf”; she does not view Abdullah Al-Mubarak merely as a man of office, but as a personality who combined the authenticity of Kuwaiti society with the spirit of modernization.

A Child Learning the Meaning of Responsibility

The story of guarding the walls may seem like a minor incident in the life of a man who later lived a life full of events. But in reality, it carries significant meaning. The child standing at the gate of the wall learns something that goes beyond mere guarding. He learns that there is a homeland to be protected, and that responsibility is linked less to age and more to a sense of duty.

In old Kuwait, protecting the city was not a function of a security institution in the modern sense; Kuwaitis themselves were part of the protection system, and the walls, their gates, and the watchtowers symbolized community solidarity. From this, we can understand how the personality of the man who bears responsibility before holding office began to take shape in Abdullah Al-Mubarak.

From guarding the city wall to safeguarding national security, Abdullah Al-Mubarak grew in stature, and his responsibilities expanded. He did not remain confined to the wall; rather, he moved into the arena of public service, assuming roles in public security. His name became associated with combating smuggling and organizing security. Over the years, he emerged as one of Kuwait’s most prominent figures in security and administration, marking a major transformation. The task was no longer to protect a city enclosed by a wall, but to build a security apparatus capable of safeguarding a society whose nature was changing and whose state’s responsibilities were expanding. Thus, Abdullah Al-Mubarak’s experience shifted from guarding a place to protecting a community, and later evolved into an even greater phase: building the state’s institutions themselves.

As Kuwait grew, so did Abdullah Al-Mubarak’s responsibilities. Kuwait was not static; oil opened new doors, and social and economic life underwent profound changes. The state expanded its investments in education, services, and administration. Consequently, the tools of protection also had to change. The country that was once defended by a wall now required an army, a police force, an air force, and modern institutions. It was at this stage that Abdullah Al-Mubarak emerged more clearly. He assumed broad responsibilities in security and defense, contributed to the development of the armed forces, and became closely associated with the air force. His interests extended to education, broadcasting, sports, culture, and other areas of public life. Here, we discover that Abdullah Al-Mubarak’s story is not merely that of a security official; it is the story of a man who understood that protecting the nation requires more than weapons alone—it demands strong institutions, an educated society, and a state capable of managing its future.

From Ahmad Al-Jaber to Abdullah Al-Salem, Abdullah Al-Mubarak lived through two pivotal periods in Kuwait’s history. During the reign of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber, he witnessed the beginnings of this major transformation. Under Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem, he participated in the phase of building the modern state and preparing for independence. In 1950, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem assumed power, and Abdullah Al-Mubarak was appointed Deputy Ruler, ushering both men into a highly significant historical phase. This is where the importance of Dr. Suad Al-Sabah’s book “The Two Sheikhs” becomes evident: it views the two men within a unified context, highlighting the complementary roles of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem, the leader of the political project, and Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mubarak, who shouldered a substantial portion of the burdens of administration, security, and institutions. Kuwait was not being built by a single individual; rather, there was a leader guiding the political course, alongside men who shared the burdens of construction and implementation. Abdullah Al-Mubarak was one of the most prominent of these men.

The Wall That Fell… and the Nation That Remained

We return here to the starting point. The wall where young Abdullah Al-Mubarak once stood as a child no longer exists. The wall fell, Kuwait expanded, the city changed, and the state transformed. Yet the meaning embodied by the wall endured. Protection of Kuwait remained, but the very concept of protection had changed. In his childhood, he guarded a gate; in his adulthood, he became responsible for agencies and institutions; and later, as Deputy Ruler, he carried the responsibilities of a state moving toward independence and building its modern institutions. Thus, Abdullah Al-Mubarak’s life can be read as a transition from the Kuwait of the wall to the Kuwait of the state. This is why the title of this series is “Abdullah Al-Mubarak: The Man of the Wall and the State.” The wall was not the end of his story; it was its beginning. The child grew up, and with him, Kuwait grew. In that old photograph of a child standing on the Kuwaiti wall, we can see the beginning of a man who would leave a legacy far greater than his early years. The child did not know that the days would place the responsibilities of a state upon his shoulders, nor did he know that the Kuwait he guarded at its gate would become a modern state with institutions. But one thing remained constant: the sense that Kuwait is a trust.

This may well be the most fitting way to begin the story of Abdullah Al-Mubarak. He did not start as a statesman; he began as a child. He did not start in the halls of power; he began at the city wall. As the child grew, so did Kuwait.

1. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mubarak grew up during the reign of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber, in a period when Kuwait was transitioning from a traditional society to a new stage of transformation and modernization.

2. Abdullah Al-Mubarak participated at an early age, around twelve, in guarding the walls of Kuwait, marking his early experience with the meaning of responsibility and the protection of the homeland.

3. The walls of Kuwait were more than a structure surrounding the city; they were a symbol of its security, the solidarity of its people, and their defense of their nation.

4. From his upbringing, Abdullah Al-Mubarak carried the values of courage, chivalry, generosity, and responsibility—values that would accompany him throughout his public life.

5. He moved from guarding the walls to working in public security, and his responsibilities expanded alongside the growth and institutional development of the state.

6. He did not view security merely as military protection; rather, his role was linked to building modern state institutions and developing their tools.

7. He contributed to the fields of security, defense, the army, and aviation, and his interests extended to education, broadcasting, sports, culture, and other areas of national progress.

8. During the reign of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim, Abdullah Al-Mubarak became the Deputy Ruler, bearing a significant share of the state’s administrative burdens during a critical phase in Kuwait’s history.

9. His biography reveals the major transformation Kuwait underwent: from a city protected by walls to a state protected by institutions.

10. The story of Abdullah Al-Mubarak began with a child guarding the walls of Kuwait, and he grew to become a man who contributed to protecting the state, establishing its institutions, and striving for its advancement. The child grew up… and with him, Kuwait grew.

Dr. Abdulhamid Khalifa Al-Shaiji