Around the middle of the eighteenth century a group of Arabs known as the Utub settled in Kuwait. This group was a part of the Anizah tribe from modern-day Saudi Arabia.
It is believed the Utub came to Kuwait to escape a terrible drought that was decimating the Arabian peninsula. They and other inhabitants of Kuwait chose Sabah bin Jaber to be their ruler in 1756 and the little town at the head of the Arabian Gulf grew through trade, fishing and pearl diving to be one of the most prosperous in the region.
From 1756 to the present, there have been thirteen rulers of Kuwait from the Al-Sabah family:
Sheikh Sabah bin Jaber I, 1756-1762Sheikh Abdullah I, 1762-1812
Sheikh Jaber I, 1812-1859
Sheikh Sabah II, 1859-1866
Sheikh Abdullah II, 1866-1892
Sheikh Mohammed I, 1892-1896
Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, 1896-1915
Sheikh Jaber II, 1915-1917
Sheikh Salem Al-Mubarak, 1917-1921
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 1921-1950
Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, 1950-1965
Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, 1965-1977
Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, 1977-present