Kuwait City: Kuwait commemorates 33 years since the extinguishing of the last oil well set ablaze by Iraqi forces, following their withdrawal in February 1991 due to a US-led coalition. This event is marked annually in Kuwait, highlighting its historical importance after liberation from a large-scale invasion by Iraq. The invaders set fire to 737 oil wells and completely destroyed 54 others, causing an environmental disaster. According to Kuwait News Agency, the fires led to an oil spill of significant proportions, wasting approximately 23 million barrels and causing losses of USD 120 million daily. The damage to Kuwaiti oil facilities severely impacted the global economy, resulting in a nearly seven-month recession. In the aftermath of liberation, Kuwaiti state bodies quickly assessed the damage and formulated both short and long-term solutions to extinguish the burning wells and stabilize the global oil market. The reconstruction efforts were an international collaboration, with Kuwait seeking expertise f rom global bodies to restore the damaged facilities. Sami Al-Yaqout, head of the soil rehabilitation department at the state-run Kuwait Oil Company (KPC), explained that while such tasks typically require at least five years, the combined efforts of Kuwaiti and international teams completed them in eight months. In September 1991, a team formed by KPC, despite limited resources and expertise, successfully extinguished the burning wells, an effort praised by senior firefighter Ishaq Al-Qaed. Kuwait celebrated the extinguishing of the last oil well with a grand ceremony attended by the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, an event that remains a significant part of the nation's history.
