Shaikha Al-Sabah

Shaikha Al-Sabah
Occupation	Yoga practitioner
Years active	2001–present
Organization	Daratma
Known for	Promoting yoga education in Kuwait
Title	Founder of Daratma
Awards	Padma Shri (2025)

Shaikha Ali Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is a Kuwaiti yoga practitioner and the founder of Daratma, a yoga education center in Kuwait. In 2025, she became the first Kuwaiti national to receive India's Padma Shri award, conferred for her contributions to the field of yoga. ^[1]

Career

Yoga Education

She began practicing yoga in 2001 and established Daratma in 2014, Kuwait's first officially licensed yoga studio. The center conducts programs related to yoga education, mindfulness, and wellness. She has been associated with a youth yoga initiative called Shems, which promotes yoga among children and adolescents. ^[2]

Other initiatives

In 2021, she launched a charitable initiative, Yomnak lil Yaman, aimed at supporting Yemeni refugees and internally displaced individuals. ^[3] During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was involved in distributing educational supplies to underprivileged children in Kuwait. ^[4]

She has also organised international wellness events, including Reiki Jin Kei Do and consciousness training sessions at the Monroe Institute in the United States. ^[2]

In December 2024. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Al-Sabah during his visit to Kuwait and acknowledged her contributions to promoting yoga, particularly among youth. ^{[5] [6]}

Awards and recognition

On 25 January 2025, Al-Sabah received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in recognition of her work in the field of yoga. she was one of eight international recipients that year. ^[7]

References

1. Fatima, Sakina (2025-04-28). "Watch: Kuwait's Shaikha Al Sabah receives Padma Shri award". The Siasat Daily. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
2. Basu, Sreetama (2025-04-29). "Who is Shaikha Ali Jaber Al-sabah, the pioneer in yoga education from Kuwait who was awarded Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu?". The Financial Express. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
3. "Yoga practitioner from Kuwait, travel blogger couple among Padma Award recipients". India Today. 2025-01-25. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
4. Livemint (2024-12-22). "Who is Shaikha AJ Al-Sabah? Kuwait's yoga pioneer, humanitarian leader who PM Modi met | Today News". mint. Archived from the original on 2025-01-17. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
5. Factly (2024-12-28). "Fact Check: No, That's Not Kuwait Queen With PM Modi In This Viral Image, The Woman Is..." news.abplive.com. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
6. "PM Modi meets founder of first licenced yoga studio in Kuwait". India Today. 2024-12-22. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
7. Times, Manaal (2025-01-28). "Shaikha Al Sabah honored with India's prestigious Padma Shri for yoga advocacy". Times Kuwait. Retrieved 2025-06-28.