# Ministry of Defense (Kuwait)

The Kuwait Ministry of Defence (Arabic: وزارة الدفاع الكويتية) is one of the governmental bodies of Kuwait. Its minister in charge is a member of the Cabinet of Kuwait. The current Minister of Defense is Abdullah Ali Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah.

## Minister

On 1 July 1961, when the ministry was not established yet during Operation Vantage; the Kuwait Army was the de facto command leadership of the available armed forces since establishment and acted as official minister advising the Emir of Kuwait on course of action. The Kuwait Army redesignated in 1953 was founded 13 years before the enacting of the Kuwait ministry, mainly by Field Marshal Sheikh Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah (youngest son of Mubarak Al-Sabah) in 1949.
| Name | Portrait | Rank | Tenure | Note |
| Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah | | Field Marshal | 1949–1961 | General Commander of Kuwait Army and the Directorate of Public Security Force (1942–1961) until the two split in 1953. Founder and patron of Kuwait Army and Kuwait Air Force. |

## List of ministers of defense and deputy prime ministers (1962–present)

The ministry has been headed by the following people since its inception in 1962:
| # | Name | Title | Tenure | Note |
| 1 | Mohammed Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 1962–1964 | Mohammed Al-Ahmad Kuwait Naval Base is named after him. |
| 2 | Saad Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 1964–1978 | 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait (2006) Saad Al-Abdullah Academy for Security Sciences which is in charge of training personnel of the Kuwait Police is named after him |
| 3 | Salem Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 1978–1988 | |
| 4 | Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 1988–1991 | Crown Prince of Kuwait (2006–2020), 16th Ruler and 6th Emir of Kuwait |
| 5 | Ali Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 1991–1994 | Ali Al-Sabah Military College which is in charge of training personnel of the Kuwait Armed Forces excluding the Kuwait Police is named after him. |
| 6 | Ahmad Al-Homoud Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 1994–1996 | |
| 7 | Salem Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 1996–2001 | |
| 8 | Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 2001–2011 | Prime Minister of Kuwait (2011–2019) |
| 9 | Ahmad Al Homoud Al Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 2011 | |
| 10 | Ahmad Al Khalid Al Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 2012–2013 | (ret) Lieutenant General and Chief of the General Staff of the Kuwait Armed Forces (2009–2012) |
| 11 | Khaled Al Jarrah Al Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 2013–2016 | (ret) Lieutenant General and Chief of the General Staff of the Kuwait Armed Forces (2012-2013) |
| 12 | Mohammad Al Khalid Al Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 2016–2017 | |
| 13 | Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 2017–2019 | |
| 14 | Ahmad Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 2019–2020 | |
| 15 | Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 2020–2022 | |
| 16 | Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah | Minister of Defense (Acting) | 2022 | |
| 17 | Talal Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 9 March 2022–2 October 2022 | |
| 18 | Abdullah Ali Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah | Minister of Defense | 5 October 2022 – 18 June 2023 |
| 19 | Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 18 June 2023 – 17 January 2024 |
| 20 | Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | 17 January 2024 – 4 February 2025 |
| 21 | Abdullah Ali Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah | Minister of Defense | 4 February 2025 – Present | |

## General functions

The major function of the ministry is to implement the government's defence policy and to govern all branches of the Kuwait Armed Forces. It is also responsible for the production, transfer, use, storage, and coordination of mines; and for mine clearance.
The ministry publishes a monthly magazine called Homat Al Watan.