H.E. Sheikha Dr. Souad M. Al Sabah

Sheikha Dr. Souad Al-Sabah (born 1942) is a Kuwaiti economist, writer and poet. A member of the ruling family and the wife of the late H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Al Mubarak Al Sabah, the Deputy Amir of Kuwait from early 1950’s till 1960. .

She completed a degree in economics and politics at Cairo University in 1973 and a doctorate in economics from University of Surrey in the United Kingdom in 1981.

She is a member of the executive committee of the World Muslim Women Organization for South West Asia, and is on the board of trustees and executive committee of the Arab Intellectuals Forum. She has written several economics publications in English such as “Development Planning in an Oil Economy and Kuwait: Anatomy of a Crisis Economy”. Other works include “Wamdatt Bakira” (Early Blinks), “Lahathat min Umri” (Moments of My Life) and poems such as “A Woman from Kuwait”, “My Body is a Palm Tree that Grows on a Bahr al-Arab”, “Female 2000”, and “Ingratitude”.

Apart from a variety of poetry and poems collections, Dr Suad also wrote historical and biographical books about her husband, the late Sheikh Abdullah Al- Mubarak Al-Sabah (1914-1991) and his father , the late Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah (1840-1915), the seventh ruler of Kuwait, founder of modern Kuwait, and is her father- in-law. .

As an erudite economist, she published several books related to socio-economic issues that includes: “The Planning and Development in the Kuwaiti Economy and the Role of Women (1983)”, “Lights on the Kuwaiti Economy (1985)”, “The Gulf Woman and her Participation in Manpower (1986)”, “OPEC: The Previous Experience and Futuristic Outlooks (1986)”, “The New Oil Market: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Regains its Initiative (1986)”, “The Crises of Resources in the Arab World (1989)”, “Papers on the Gulf Economy (2006)”, “Papers on the International Political Economy (2006)” and “Papers on the Petroleum Policy (2006)”.

Dr. Al Sabah is regarded as one of the most powerful businesswomen in Kuwait where she manages her own business as Chairperson of Action Group Holdings Company. Dr Suad Al-Sabah also served as the Director of Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE), the national stock market of Kuwait.

She was selected by Boutros Ghali, the sixth Secretary General of the UN to represent the United Nations at the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995) in Beijing, China as part of an all-female delegation consisting of five honorary guests including the first ladies of the USA, France and Nigeria as well as the President of Iceland at that time.

In addition to founding Dar Suad Al-Sabah for publishing and distribution as well as the Souad Al-Sabah Award, there are two schools named after her; Suad Al- Sabah Secondary School for Girls in Al-Manssouriyah in Kuwait and Suad Al-Sabah Elementary School in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The theater of the Kuwait Writers Association is named after her, Dr Suad Al-Sabah Theater in Al-Adailiyah area (Kuwait), and she has had a library named after her by the Arab Media Forum at its venue in Hawalli (Kuwait).

Dr. Souad was awarded France’s prestigious Order of Arts and Letters (Officer rank) in December 2025 for her significant cultural contributions, enhancing Franco-Kuwaiti relations, promoting human dignity, and her advocacy for women and youth rights through her extensive literary works, which include French translations.