History of Kuwait late 16th century, the Portuguese built a defensive settlement in Kuwait. In 1613, the town of Kuwait was founded in the present-day location of Kuwait City. Kuwait was initially under the control of the Bani Khalid clan, who built a fishing village in present-day Kuwait Bay. The beginning of the eighteenth century witnessed the contention of Kuwait by the Bani Utub confederation. They migrated to Kuwait in 1682. As a result of successive matrimonial alliances, they were able to wrest control of Kuwait sometime after the death of Barrak Bin Urair [Bani Khaled] and the fall of the Bani Khaled
Emir of Kuwait Emir of Kuwait The Emir of the State of Kuwait is the monarch and head of state of Kuwait. It is the most powerful position in the country. The emirs of Kuwait are members of the Al-Sabah dynasty, which originate from the Bani Utbah; a federation of clans in the Arabian Peninsula. Since 29 January 2006, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the current emir. Succession to the throne of Kuwait is limited to the descendants of Mubarak Al-Sabah. The position of Emir is also traditionally alternated between the two main branches of the Al-Sabah family, the Al-Ahmed and Al-Salem branches.