meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Emir Mishal faces familiar set of challenges

2 January 2024

 

The succession of a new emir in Kuwait hands formal power to another long-serving figure from the Al-Sabah dynasty. Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah – only three years younger than his late elder brother, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah – is a well-known figure who has held senior defence and security roles in the past, and since 2020, the crown prince position.

Effectively, Sheikh Mishal has been in charge of the government since at least November 2021, when Nawaf’s deteriorating health meant day-to-day power was transferred to his younger brother. This may be a positive, say analysts.

“Since then, there’s been an improvement in parliamentary relations with government, so that could be a positive sign for the future,” says Kristian Ulrichsen, a Middle East fellow at the Baker Institute.

Continuity candidate

Perhaps mindful of the view of many in Kuwait that the new emir hardly represents a break with the past, Sheikh Mishal’s first speech on taking power on 20 December was bold in tone and substance.

He told MPs that both they and the government had harmed the interests of the people. He even voiced disagreement with the late Emir Nawaf over some of the pardons he had issued to individuals accused of spying for Iran and Hezbollah.

That robust style was already evident in June 2022, when the then crown prince attacked the government for a “lack of clarity” in its vision, which he implied had done little to dampen broader opposition to the government.

Sheikh Mishal also appeared to hint that unless there was an improvement and the various logjams obstructing progress removed, the National Assembly could be suspended – regarded in Kuwaiti political circles as the “nuclear option”.

That seems an unlikely prospect. In fact, Sheikh Mishal has also taken conciliatory positions. According to Ulrichsen, many of the politicians who were convicted in the 2010s under former Emir Sheikh Sabah were granted amnesties out of a desire for reconciliation and to move on from the post-Arab Spring decade.

“Because of Nawaf’s ill health, Mishal was the driving force behind that. He’s been signalling to the political class that he’s willing to give them a chance,” says Ulrichsen.

Shifting power dynamics

If the new emir is to give substance to the more ambitious elements of his first speech on taking the oath, then he will need to make some senior appointments that can effect that change. 

“There’s certainly been an attempt to replace or reshuffle a lot of the old guard, and that’s associated with Mishal even if Nawaf was the emir in name,” says Ulrichsen.

Powerful incumbents such as Defence Minister Sheikh Ahmad Fahad al-Sabah are expected to remain in position. He has been viewed as a potential emir himself, enjoying the advantage of relative youth – he is in his late 60s.

The latter’s main rival within senior circles has been the former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammed al-Sabah, who is 81 and less of a direct challenge to Sheikh Mishal. The intense competition between Nasser and Ahmad made it easier for Mishal to emerge as the consensus emir candidate.

Another brewing rivalry could see the sons of the late Emir Nawaf and Sheikh Mishal making plays for a shift in generational power.

Both men were influential in the reorganisation of senior decision-making processes, which saw a number of individuals associated with the late Sheikh Sabah removed from office. Emir Mishal’s son, Ahmad Mishal al-Ahmad, was the head of the Government Performance Monitoring Agency. Ahmad Nawaf al-Ahmad, who was prime minister between June 2022 and December 2023, remains a powerful figure in Kuwait City.  

Given Emir Mishal’s advanced age, these two men are viewed as potential succession candidates – representing a younger generation that some have viewed as presaging a shift seen over recent years in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.

Such hopes may be dashed since the reality is that there is not a Kuwaiti version of Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman waiting in the wings. And given the parliament’s important role in the approval process – uniquely in the Gulf – Kuwait’s ruler does not have the same freedom of action that his counterpart in Saudi Arabia has. 

Nevertheless, “the Al-Sabahs are running out of brothers. They’ve basically gone from one brother to another for the last 46 years, and their ability to continue that is in question”, says Ulrichsen.

Regional implications

The change of guard in Kuwait also has implications for the rest of the Gulf, given the state’s historic role as a regional peace broker and bridge builder within the often-fractious Gulf Cooperation Council.

The aftermath of the Al-Ula agreement in 2021, which ushered in the reconciliation between Qatar and its GCC antagonists, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, means there is now less requirement for Kuwaiti intermediation.

In any case, Kuwait’s effectiveness in that role largely rested on the personal qualities of the late Emir Sabah, who had decades of diplomatic experience to draw on. His successors do not enjoy such elevated status.

The coming months will give a clearer idea of how Emir Mishal intends to stamp his authority. Those anticipating root and branch change may be disappointed. A younger generation is still some way from taking the reins of power in Kuwait, and the country could still prove stubbornly resistant to the kinds of reforms that have swept through other GCC states.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11404550/main.gif
James Gavin

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Engie completes refinancing of Oman power plants

    5 November 2026

    French developer Engie has announced that it has reached financial close on the refinancing of the Sohar 2 and Barka 3 independent power projects (IPPs) in Oman.

    The transaction follows 15-year extensions to the plants’ power purchase agreements (PPAs) in March, securing their long-term operations through to 2043.

    As previously reported by MEED, the new agreements for the 750MW Sohar 2 and 750MW Barka 3 IPPs will take effect on 1 April 2028. 

    The refinancing aligns the projects’ debt profiles with the extended PPA terms and establishes a long-term financing framework to support future capital expenditure. This includes refurbishment works aimed at improving the reliability and long-term performance of both assets.

    Al-Batinah Power Company and Al-Suwadi Power Company operate the Sohar 2 and Barka 3 power plants, respectively.

    According to regional projects tracker MEED Projects, Nama PWP signed the original PPA for the Barka 3 project in 2010 with a consortium led by Gaz de France (GDF) Suez under a special purpose vehicle called Al-Suwadi Power Company.

    The shareholders comprised GDF Suez (46%), Bahwan Engineering Company (22%), Shikoku Electric Power Corporation (11%), Sojitz Corporation (11%)  and the Public Authority for Social Insurance (10%).

    In 2015, GDF Suez was rebranded as Engie following a strategic shift towards low-carbon energy and utilities.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21170932/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Aramco seeks to expand East-West crude pipeline

    5 November 2026

    Saudi Aramco is planning to expand its East-West oil pipeline network, aiming to strengthen the kingdom’s ability to transport crude oil while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

    Aramco operates the 1,200-kilometre East-West pipeline from Abqaiq in the Eastern Province to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. The pipeline currently has an oil transportation capacity of 7 million barrels a day (b/d).

    The pipeline was targeted by Houthi missiles in September and by Iran in April. Aramco resumed crude oil exports through the pipeline at the start of October.

    “With regard to the expansion to our East-West pipeline and the additional networks that we are building, this work has already started,” Amin Nasser, Aramco’s president and CEO, told analysts on a call following the company’s announcement of its Q3 2026 financial results on 3 November.

    Nasser had previously said in an interview with Al Arabiya Business that Aramco had begun engineering work on the East-West pipeline expansion project during the early stages of the US-Iran conflict.

    In October, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman said that the kingdom was looking to expand its crude oil export capacity by pipeline to as much as 10 million b/d. The plans would involve repurposing a domestic gas pipeline and investing in the existing East-West pipeline network.

    Aramco uses three main routes to export crude oil: the Gulf, via the Strait of Hormuz; the Red Sea, via the Bab El-Mandeb strait; and the Mediterranean, via Sidi Kerir in Egypt. The company also uses overseas oil-storage facilities in South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands and Sidi Kerir, and is working with partners to expand storage capacity, particularly in Asia.

    Aramco is also undertaking engineering work on additional export routes, Nasser said.

    He added that the company would not disclose details of the proposed routes until it made final investment decisions.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21156806/main0615.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • SAR tenders railway track design framework

    5 November 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has invited consultants to bid by 14 December for a framework agreement covering railway track design services.

    The state-owned operator is seeking to accelerate the delivery of smaller projects across its network.

    SAR has scheduled a pre-tender meeting for 12 November.

    Under the framework, SAR will appoint a panel of specialist consultants to carry out design work through work orders or task orders issued as required. This will remove the need for SAR to launch a separate tender for each project.

    SAR said a long-term contract with several specialist service providers would benefit all parties, particularly for smaller projects.

    SAR will detail the required works and communicate them to the selected consultants through each work order or task order.

    The scope covers engineering studies, as well as concept, preliminary and detailed design for railway infrastructure. Services will include surveys, alignment design, geotechnical assessments, cost estimation and construction support.

    Consultants will be expected to produce drawings, reports, risk registers, bills of quantities and other design documentation. All deliverables must comply with SAR standards for UIC 60 track systems and associated infrastructure.

    SAR said it is seeking partnerships with competent consultants to supply track and track infrastructure design services under the terms of the tender document.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21168500/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Aramco commissions Zuluf field oil increment project

    5 November 2026

    Saudi Aramco has announced the start of oil production at the Zuluf oil increment project in Saudi Arabia, on which it is estimated to have spent about $7bn in 2022.

    The Saudi energy company made the announcement as part of its third-quarter 2026 financial results, in which it reported adjusted net income of $31.2bn, up 9% year on year.

    The Zuluf oil increment project involved substantial onshore and offshore work at the field, located in the Gulf about 40 kilometres off Saudi Arabia’s northeastern coast.

    The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) scope was divided into two onshore packages and five offshore packages.

    Aramco selected Japan’s JGC Holdings Corporation in May 2022 for the two main onshore packages of the Zuluf field development. Together, the packages were estimated to be worth up to $3.5bn.

    Package 1 was estimated to be the larger of the two onshore packages, with a contract value of about $2bn-$2.5bn. It covered EPC work to build hydrocarbon-processing facilities for the Zuluf development, principally an onshore gas-oil separation plant.

    Package 2 covered utilities and water-injection facilities and was estimated to be worth about $1bn.

    Before awarding the onshore contracts, Aramco had awarded more than $4bn of contracts across five main offshore engineering, procurement, construction and installation packages. The awards went to US-headquartered McDermott International; a consortium of India’s Larsen & Toubro Hydrocarbon Engineering and UK-headquartered Subsea7; and Abu Dhabi’s NMDC Energy, then known as National Petroleum Construction Company.

    Since the 2022 EPC awards, Aramco has invested further in maintaining and upgrading infrastructure at the Zuluf field. The work supports the company’s objective of maintaining its maximum sustained crude oil production capacity at 12 million barrels a day (b/d).

    Other upstream projects

    In its Q3 2026 results statement, Aramco also announced EPC progress on other key upstream oil and gas projects, including:

    Jafurah phase two – Aramco awarded 16 contracts, worth a combined total of about $12.4bn, on 30 June 2024 for the second expansion phase of the Jafurah unconventional gas development programme in the Eastern Province.

    The second phase aims to raise the field’s processing potential to up to 2 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) of raw gas. The EPC scope of work includes constructing gas compression facilities and associated pipelines, and expanding the Jafurah gas plant, including the construction of gas processing trains, utilities, sulphur and export facilities, Aramco said in a statement.

    Fadhili gas plant expansion – Through the estimated $7.7bn project, Aramco aims to increase the Fadhili gas plant’s processing capacity from 2.5 billion cf/d to up to 4 billion cf/d. The expansion includes three new processing trains, each with a capacity of 500 million cf/d.

    Aramco awarded contracts for four main EPC packages of the Fadhili gas plant expansion project in April 2024 to South Korean contractors Samsung E&A and GS Engineering & Construction and Saudi contractor Nesma & Partners.

    Dammam development project – The project represents the second development phase of the Dammam field. Its objective is to install infrastructure, including pipelines, trunklines and pumps, to increase the field’s crude oil production capacity by 25,000 b/d and 50,000 b/d in separate phases.

    Al-Khobar-based Denys Arabia won the main EPC contract for the Dammam second field development phase in July 2024. The contract was estimated to be worth more than $500m.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21156386/main4222.jpeg
    Indrajit Sen
  • BP and PetroChina cut budgets for Iraq oil projects

    5 November 2026

     

    London-headquartered BP and PetroChina have agreed with Turkish contractor Tekfen to reduce the monthly allocated budgets for two upstream oil projects at the Rumaila field, according to industry sources.

    Rumaila Operating Organisation (ROO) operates the Rumaila field.

    ROO is a joint venture formed by state-owned Basra Oil Company; Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organisation (Somo); and Basra Energy Company, a joint venture owned by UK-based oil company BP and PetroChina.

    PetroChina is the listed arm of state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation.

    As part of the agreement between ROO and Tekfen, progress on the projects will continue at a slower pace.

    The two projects are both also suffering from delays due to problems importing equipment through the Strait of Hormuz, sources said.

    One source said: “These projects are really barely alive. They are progressing very slowly after the monthly budgets were cut by the client. The project is still continuing, but at a slow pace. The budgets are very limited.”

    Sources said that although the monthly budget payments were reduced, they were still being made on time.

    Most of the problems that the projects at the oil field are facing are connected to the regional war, which started on 28 February when the US and Israel attacked Iran.

    One source said: “The budget issues and financial problems are significant. There are also security concerns connected to reported US plans for a potential strategic nuclear strike on Iran and how that might impact operations at the Rumaila field, which is only around 60 kilometres from the Iranian border.”

    The two projects have a combined value of less than $100m, and the project scopes include developing new facilities as well as upgrading and repairing existing upstream infrastructure.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21153848/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp