“In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate”

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

His Excellency Ahmed Abdulaziz Al-Sadoun, Speaker of the National Assembly,

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Prime Minister,

Members of the Legislative and Executive Authorities,

Honorable Audience,

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.

I meet with you today with feelings of profound sorrow at the loss of my brother and comrade the late Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may Allah rest his soul in peace. We recall with great pride and honor his exceptional contributions to the service of his country and its people, along with his paternal and humanitarian role witnessed by everyone.

Sheikh Nawaf showed unstinted generosity, leaving a biography brimmed with many virtues. We listened to and complied with his every order and instruction–albeit some were at odds with our own convictions–because obeying those in authority is in line with the commandments of Allah. Our consolation, and that of the people of Kuwait, is his left legacy of benevolent deeds and morals that shall forever remain in our minds. We will not say except what pleases Allah and what the patient people say, those “[w]ho, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.””

In this regard, we cannot fail to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to the loyal people of Kuwait for the heartfelt condolences and sympathies expressed. Our thanks is extended to the leaders of friendly countries, to those who attended the funeral, to those who attended but could

not offer their condolences due to the high density of attendance or lack of time, and to those who expressed their condolences via social media networks. May Allah reward you with goodness, accept your prayers, and save you from adversity. We excuse those who were unable to attend.

Brothers and sisters,

Bearing the weight of responsibility is heavy, taking the great oath is vital, and fulfilling the covenant is of utmost gravity. Today, having been given the reins of power by your esteemed Council as a mandate and not an honor, I pledge to Allah the Almighty and to the people of Kuwait to be the loyal citizen to his homeland and to his people. I solemnly affirm to protect their interests, maintain national unity, and strive to elevate and progress the homeland all the while adhering to the teachings of Islam and the well-established national and constitutional constants. I pledge to respect and enforce the law which combats all forms and manifestations of corruption, recalling the entrusted responsibility of our forefathers, may Allah rest their souls in peace, in preserving the homeland. I would like to assure you that the pioneering role of the State of Kuwait with its friendly countries in various issues and topics of common interest shall further and continue. Concurrent to this is maintenance of our Gulf, regional, and international commitments.

Brothers and sisters,

We have indicated in our previous speeches that there are national entitlements that must be carried out by the legislative and executive authorities for the benefit of the nation and its citizens. Not only did we not sense any change or course correction; both entities cooperated and agreed upon harming the interests of the country and the people. With unmerited appointments and transfers that do not conform with the simplest standards of justice, the citizenship file and its ensuing implications of altering the Kuwaiti identity, the amnesty file and the repercussions that resulted therefrom, and the haste to approve the rehabilitation file, the extent of harm done to the country’s interests and national gains is quite evident. What adds to this sadness and pain is the silence of the members of the legislative and executive authorities on this deliberate and planned tampering of these files and others, thereby legitimizing them. This silence seems to represent a transaction of interests between the two authorities at the expense of the interests of the homeland and its citizens. For that, our sovereign resolution came in transcript to deter part of this tampering by suspending decisions on appointments, promotions, transfers, and delegations for a definite period. Other files will be addressed later on, Allah willing.

Brothers and sisters,

We have warned on many occasions that crises, challenges, and dangers surround us. Wisdom entails cognizance of the amount of responsibility as well as urgency to adhere to the national unity. Today, in this critical and historical phase, it is imperative to review our status quo in full scale, specifically the security, economic, and living aspects as willed by our late Amir, may Allah rest his soul in peace. We must engage in dialogue, the exchange of opinions and advice, and seek to spread an atmosphere of optimism in order to attain the desired ambition. We need to exercise prudence in issuing laws and decisions that affect national gains to preserve the Kuwaiti identity and to promote deserved citizenship for Kuwaitis who believe that Kuwait shall forever remain and loyalty is only to it.

Brothers and sisters,

Driven by the responsibility and trust of governance, we, as a political leadership, should be close to everyone–listening, observing, and following every detail of unfolding events. We stress the importance of supervising, monitoring, and holding those accountable within the framework of the constitution and the law for all the negligence, dereliction, and tampering with the interests of the country and its citizens. Move forward with Allah’s blessing and guidance and we shall always be with you, committed to the pledge we have made, upholding the great oath we have taken, and staying loyal to the homeland and its citizens.

To conclude, I pray to Allah the Almighty to preserve Kuwait, keep it an oasis of security and safety, and to continue to bless it with progress and prosperity.

“Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance”

And our closing prayer will be, “All praise is for Allah – Lord of all worlds!”

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.