The Amiri Diwan is the headquarters of the country’s rulers and a symbol of Kuwait’s sovereignty. It is located at Al-Seif Palace and led by Minister of the Al-Diwan al-Amiri Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah, who has held the post since February 2006.

The Amiri Diwan’s origins date back to Kuwait’s early years as a hub for international business and trade

The eldest son of the emir, he succeeded the former minister, Sheikh Nasser Mohammed al-Ahmed al-Sabah, who had held the position since 1991. The minister is supported by a deputy minister, Sheikh Ali Jarrah al-Sabah.

Its origins date back to Kuwait’s early years as a hub for international business and trade. By 1904, it was decided that the reigning monarch, Sheikh Mubarak al-Sabah, needed a government headquarters and office, and so it was decided to build the Al-Seif Palace. By 1907, the palace was opened and just three years later a second wing was added. By 1913, the palace became the first building in Kuwait to have electricity, from an oil-fired generator.

Reconstruction work

Extensive expansion and reconstruction has characterised the palace history, and in 1962 it was named the Al-Diwan al-Amiri. A building project to renew the palace in 1987 was disrupted by the Iraq invasion in 1990, but this was recommenced after liberation in 1991.

Within the grounds of the newly constructed palace sits a three-storey building dedicated to the activities of the Amiri Diwan. This occupies an area of about 35,000 square metres, and includes the emir’s offices, in addition to 125 staff offices. There is also an official reception hall of 250 sq m and many other reception rooms.

Among its many activities the Amiri Diwan drives forward cultural projects and other important state schemes. According to MEED Projects, it is overseeing eight major developments worth $3.3bn. The largest of these is the $1.3bn Al-Jahra hospital project, which has been designed by US firm TRO JB and the local Pan Arab Consulting Engineers.

Situated 20 miles west of Kuwait City, the 1,093-bed hospital is set to become a trauma centre for the Jahra district.

Major departments organised around the five-storey atrium include: accident and emergency, with a helipad on the roof and separate adult and paediatric treatment areas; more than 20 outpatient clinics; outpatient procedures including endoscopy, pulmonary and cardiology; radiology and nuclear medicine; a modern surgical suite with 20 operating rooms; and a women’s centre including a women’s surgery, an infertility clinic and outpatient services, a neonatal intensive care unit and special care nurseries. The main contractor for the project is the local Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al-Kharafi & Sons.

Cultural centre

Its second-largest scheme is the $835m Jaber al-Ahmad cultural centre, which is set to become a new centre for performing arts. Designed by local consultant SSH, the complex has four main buildings: a new national theatre, a music venue, a historical documents and library building, and a conference centre. The total area of the site is 214,000 sq m and the new buildings will be set in a park complex. It is being constructed on a design-and-build basis by local contractor Al-Hani Group.

The project is to form part of a new cultural district, which will also host a series of museums being built under the Sheikh Abdullah al-Salem culture centre project.

Also designed by SSH, the area will hold six museums: a natural history museum, a science museum, a museum of Islamic history, a space museum, a fine arts centre and a theatre. Construction on the $391m project is being carried out under a design-and-build contract by Kuwait’s Al-Ghanim International.

Other contracts being managed by the Amiri Diwan include the $286m Farwaniya Court Complex project, the $264 Jahra Court Complex and the $138m rehabilitation of Al-Salam Palace in Shuwaikh.