[2] Mishal attended the Al Mubarakiya School in Kuwait for primary education,[2] then went abroad to the United Kingdom for studies at the Hendon Police College, from which he graduated in 1960.

[2] On 13 April 2004, then-Emir Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah named Mishal as a minister-level deputy chief of the Kuwait National Guard (KNG), replacing Nawaf in the position.

[1] The appointment of Mishal, among the Kuwaiti ruling family's oldest members, was interpreted by some analysts as a sign that the country rulers wanted to avoid significant change, such as a transition to the next generation of leaders.

[9] For example, on 2 September 2021, Mishal spoke with US Vice President Kamala Harris about US-Kuwait bilateral relations and Kuwait's role in the evacuation of Afghanistan.

[11] Mishal has also represented Kuwait at important events abroad, including the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London in 2022[12] and the wedding of Hussein, Crown Prince of Jordan in 2023.

[14][15] On 15 February 2024, Mishal dissolved the National Assembly amidst escalating tensions between the nascent government and parliamentarians, resulting in a nationwide deadlock exacerbated by the use of offensive and inappropriate language.

[16] Three months later, on 10 May, he disbanded the parliament for the second time and suspended selected constitutional articles for a duration not exceeding four years, following weeks of political strain subsequent to the snap election in April.