Political relationships between Kuwait and Najd during the rule of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah 1896-1915
Abstract
During the period of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, the political relationship between the Kuwait and Najd passed through two stages. The first stage began in 1896 and ended in 1905. When the political relationship was clear and good both benefited from each other. Their common interests were against their enemy the Rashid family which was supported by the Ottoman Empire. Imam Abdul Rahman bin Saud and his son Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, since they fled from Najd to Kuwait results their dispute with Al Rashid. With Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah possessions, which began to secure his international relation that was supported by the British protection treaty concluded between them in 1899. In addition to providing Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah with money and military experience, until he was able to defeat Riyadh, which was a prominent point in the history of Najd. In the second stage, the relationships between Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah and Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud were strained, due to their ambitions influence in the Gulf region. Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah began to follow a dual policy with the Al Saud family on the one hand and the Al Rashid family on the other hand, especially when Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud managed to come to mutual understanding with Al Rashid on the (Qassim Province) in 1905, when signs of disagreement began to appear between Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah and Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud. The deterioration became more and more clear when the latter managed to seize Al-Ahsa in 1913. Then the Al-Sabiha Conference was held with the Ottoman Empire in 1914 took place, where Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah made a great effort to frustrate the conference. Despite this, the two sides continued negotiations without the mediation of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah. As a result of the latters cohorts of this policy, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah lost his credibility before the two conflicting parties in Najd, despite the tension that prevailed. The competition between them remained diplomatic and did not reach the stage of threatening or requiring the entry of a third party to calm the situation between them. In addition to that, tension prevailed between them until Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah died in 1915.