Abdullah al-Salim al-Sabah

Following Kuwait's independence, Iraq claimed sovereignty over Kuwait and massed troops on the border. Abdullah al-Salim requested British military assistance. British forces deployed to Kuwait, deterring an Iraqi invasion and securing Kuwait's borders.

Abdullah al-Salim al-Sabah negotiated the end of the British protectorate, making Kuwait a fully independent sovereign state. He became the first Emir of independent Kuwait. The independence was formalized with the abrogation of the 1899 Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement.

Abdullah al-Salim oversaw the drafting and adoption of Kuwait's first constitution. The constitution established a parliamentary system with an elected National Assembly, guaranteed civil liberties, and defined the powers of the emir. It remains the basis of Kuwaiti governance.