Mubarak Al-Sabah signs the secret Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement of 1899

Background. Mubarak Al-Sabah, the seventh ruler of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait, ascended the throne on 18 May 1896 after assassinating his predecessor and half-brother, Muhammad Al-Sabah. The Ottomans were hesitant to name him kaymakam but granted the title in December 1897. Neither Mubarak nor British officials wanted to make Kuwait a protectorate; a private letter from Sir Arthur Godley to Lord Curzon stated, "we don't want Koweit, but we don't want anyone else to have it." Mubarak's British protection subsequently freed him to strengthen his own power without fear of interference from the Ottomans, surrounding tribes, or the Russians.

Treaty Terms. The secret treaty signed on 23 January 1899 pledged Mubarak and his successors not to receive foreign agents or representatives, nor to cede or sell territory without British approval. This agreement guaranteed protection for Kuwait and the Al-Sabah family, leading to Mubarak being regarded as the founder of modern-day Kuwait. One source gives the signing date as 23 November 1899, conflicting with the 23 January 1899 date; the January date is preferred here as it appears in the dedicated article on the agreement.

Aftermath. The agreement allowed Mubarak to pursue independent policies, including an invasion into Najd. The British initially debated the meaning of the secret agreement, and Mubarak's request for formal protectorate status in 1901 was denied due to international tensions. The Ottomans eventually recognized the British presence as a sign of Mubarak's secret dealings.