The Rise in Power of the National Bloc

Despite the rulers’ attempts to oppose them, the Qibla merchants continued to grow in popularity, especially after the electoral fraud within the Education Council. In a bid to support the reformist movement, a number of patriotic members withdrew from the Municipal Council. These members began organizing themselves and working secretly to change the status quo. Many Kuwaiti merchants, especially the youth of the Qibla merchants, contributed to this political grouping.

Roots and Inspirations of the Bloc

The National Bloc was established by ʿAbd Allah al-Hamad al-Saqir, who was the son of the first president of the 1921 Shura Council, his cousin ʿAbd al-Latif al-Ghanim (from the wealthy al-Ghanim family), and Khalid Sulaiman al-ʿAdsani, who would become the secretary of the first and second Legislative Councils. It was initially a secret underground cell with meetings limited only to its three founding members. Quickly membership expanded to 12, all of whom being merchants. Soon after this, the National Bloc succeeded in convincing Mohammed Thunayyan al-Ghanim, one of Kuwait's senior merchants, to join the Bloc. The group also tried to convince Sheikh Yusuf al-Qinaʿi to stand with them and prepare a letter to Sheikh Ahmad with their reform demands, but al-Qinaʿi declined to participate.

The National Bloc focused on two objectives:

• 1. Striving for the establishment of an elected Council;

• 2. Granting the Council the power to supervise, monitor and organize the emirate's affairs as a legislative body in its own rights (rather than a consultative one).

The establishment of the National Bloc was prompted by a number of internal and external factors. The concept of political participation among Kuwaitis was reinforced after the first Shura Council in 1921 and then again with the election of the Municipal and Education Councils. Shortcomings in the country's administration, in addition to the deterioration of health services and educational institutions, also played a role. In more than 20 years that followed the death of Mubarak in 1915, there had been very little development in any of the aforementioned areas. The Kuwaiti merchants complained about these conditions and in addition, corruption was rampant and the pro-Sheikh groups maintained a monopoly on the country's customs and commercial sectors.