Flames from a burning oil well rise above an abandoned tank in the Burgan oil field, Kuwait. Getty Images
Flames from a burning oil well rise above an abandoned tank in the Burgan oil field, Kuwait. Getty Images

1990 - The invasion of Kuwait

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Updated 19 April 2025
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1990 - The invasion of Kuwait

1990 - The invasion of Kuwait
  • Saddam’s ‘horrible aggression’ led to the Gulf War, fragmenting the Arab world and creating lasting divisions 

JEDDAH: I was in Baghdad a mere two months before Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990. I was there with a group of editors and journalists accompanying the late King Fahd to the 17th Arab Summit in the Iraqi capital on May 30, 1990. I saw Saddam up close, with only a couple of feet between us. 

At that time there was no inkling that he would invade Kuwait. Yes, there were rumblings of discontent and disagreements over Kuwait’s ownership of Bubiyan Island. But nobody imagined that two months after he hosted the Arab leaders, his tanks would roll into Kuwait in what King Fahd rightly described as Iraq’s “most horrible aggression.” 

The invasion of Kuwait set off a chain of events with repercussions that continue today. It shattered forever the idea of Arab unity and fragmented the Arab world. That world never recovered, never returned to “normal” after the Gulf War. 

There were countries that did not side with Saddam, but they remained quiet and this led to a deepening of the suspicions that lingered in the unfortunate post-1945 Arab history. Those suspicions had become reinforced, embedded and fixed in the minds of the Arabs. There was mutual suspicion of each other’s intentions. While the Palestinians, the Jordanians and the Yemenis did not openly support the invasion, their wait-and-see policy angered the Gulf states. 

How we wrote it




Arab News reported King Fahd’s denunciation of Iraq’s “most horrible” aggression against Kuwait and the ensuing international condemnation.

Could we say that today’s problems in our region have their roots in the 1990 invasion of Kuwait? I would say yes. Most of the Arab world’s issues today are a direct result of Saddam’s aggression. 

First, the invasion led directly to the destruction of Iraq. And those responsible were the Iraqi government and, more specifically, Saddam. It was Saddam who handed an excuse to forces that wanted to break up an Arab state. If Saddam had not invaded Kuwait, there would very likely have been no Al-Qaeda, no Daesh. The Kuwaiti invasion was the ultimate moment for those who wished to see Arabs violently disagreeing with, and actually fighting, each other. 

I remember an insightful piece I read in London’s Daily Telegraph newspaper in 1968 about differences that had cropped up during that year’s Arab Summit. It included a quote that is still relevant: “The Arab world, despite its brimming coffers, lacks one thing that money cannot buy — leadership.” 

Coming back to the invasion, and how we at Arab News covered it, I was awakened by a telephone call on the morning of Aug. 2, 1990. Mohammed Ali, the teleprinter operator at Arab News, was on the line. In those days, the teleprinter brought us the news, sometimes in trickles and sometimes in floods. Ali told me that information was trickling in about Kuwait being invaded by Iraqi troops. 

Key Dates

  • 1

    Iraq invades Kuwait.

  • 2

    UN Resolution 660 condemns the invasion and “demands that Iraq withdraw immediately and unconditionally.”

  • 3

    Saddam installs Alaa Hussein Ali, holder of dual Iraq-Kuwaiti nationality and a lieutenant in the Kuwaiti army, as head of a four-day puppet government in Kuwait.

    Timeline Image Aug. 4, 1990

  • 4

    UN Resolution 678 gives Iraq an ultimatum to withdraw from Kuwait by Jan. 15, 1991.

    Timeline Image Nov. 29, 1990

  • 5

    Saudi F-15s and Tornados take part in the first of a series of allied bombing raids on Iraqi military targets in Iraq and Kuwait.

  • 6

    Iraq fires the first of more than 80 Scud missiles it will unleash on Israel and Saudi Arabia during the brief conflict.

  • 7

    Iraqi forces seize the Saudi town of Khafji on the Kuwait border, but are driven out after two days.

    Timeline Image Jan. 29, 1991

  • 8

    Coalition ground troops cross into Iraq from Saudi Arabia.

  • 9

    US and Allied forces enter and begin the swift liberation of Kuwait.

    Timeline Image Feb. 24, 1991

  • 10

    A Scud missile hits US Army barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 28 US soldiers.

  • 11

    Iraqi forces flee Kuwait, setting fire to oil wells as they leave. Thousands die on Highway 80, the so-called Highway to Death, when retreating troops are attacked by allied aircraft.

    Timeline Image Feb. 26, 1991

  • 12

    With Kuwait liberated, US President George H.W. Bush declares a cease-fire and Kuwait’s government returns from exile.

    Timeline Image Feb. 28, 1991

I jumped out of bed, dressed and headed straight to the office at around 6 a.m. We called a couple of other staff members and started reading the reports. In those days, communication was far from quick. There was no internet and no mobile phones. To get a firsthand report of what was actually happening, I called one of my friends in Kuwait who had worked with the Arab Times. 

He said: “Yes, I see Iraqi tanks in the streets. There is no resistance from the Kuwaitis.” We maintained contact for about three-and-a-half hours before his phone went dead. 

Armed with all the information and leads I had, I sat with the editorial team and discussed the next day’s edition. However, there was an order from the Ministry of Information telling newspapers not to write about the invasion. From the editor-in-chief’s point of view, this was a great story but there were directives not to print it. 

I was unwilling to take no for an answer, so I got in my car with my colleague, Khaled Nazer, and we went to the office of the minister of information at the time, Ali Al-Shaer. Once there, I begged and pleaded with him, saying how important it was to report this story, but he refused to budge. It was the darkest day in my life as a journalist. 

Luckily, there was an Islamic conference taking place in Cairo at the time, and we used that story as a way to discuss the rumblings and tensions along the border between Iraq and Kuwait. That was it. 




US Air Force fighters during Operation Desert Storm. Getty Images

The next day, however, we began reporting details of plundering and rampaging by Saddam’s troops in Kuwait. I told the publishers how important it was for the paper to have a full team close to the Saudi border with Iraq, in addition to the office we already had in the Eastern Province. 

On Aug. 8, I went to the Eastern Province and, by September, we had a full team in place. It included Wahib Ghorab, Khaled Nazer, Mohammed Samman, Saeed Haider, Maher Abbas, Hani Naqshbandi, the photographer Giovanni Pasquale and an American intern, Aldo Svaldi. 

By that time, an army of international journalists had arrived in the Eastern Province. The liberation of Kuwait was still a couple of weeks away. 

When King Fahd addressed the nation, and the world, on Thursday, Aug. 9, 1990, we were given detailed information about the invasion. Our front-page headline the following day was “Fahd denounces Iraq’s ‘most horrible aggression’.” 

From the Eastern Province, we began writing reports, war dispatches and human-interest stories. Everything was new to us and our circulation soared. The “Green Truth,” as Arab News was known in those days, became the most sought-after publication, the go-to source for information. 

International journalists from Voice of America, the BBC and CNN visited our offices, and we formed lifelong friendships with many of them. They were surprised by our knowledge, keenness and openness. There was even a story about a small burger joint that was making Scud Burgers, named for the missiles that Saddam was using to attack the Kingdom. 

None of my staff was allowed to feel any less important than those high and mighty foreign journalists. I made sure of that. 

Arab News was the first newspaper to enter liberated Kuwait, while the oil wells were still burning. 

  • Khaled Almaeena was editor in chief of Arab News for almost 25 years, serving two terms, from May 1, 1982, to Feb. 20, 1993, and from March 1, 1998, to Oct. 8, 2011. 


GCC ambassadors raise concern about safety of nuclear facilities amid Israel-Iran conflict

GCC ambassadors raise concern about safety of nuclear facilities amid Israel-Iran conflict
Updated 4 min 47 sec ago
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GCC ambassadors raise concern about safety of nuclear facilities amid Israel-Iran conflict

GCC ambassadors raise concern about safety of nuclear facilities amid Israel-Iran conflict
  • The ambassadors warned Grossi during a meeting in Vienna about the “dangerous repercussions” of targeting nuclear facilities
  • The warning comes after the Israeli military said at one point that it had struck Iran's Bushehr facility, but later said the comment had been made by mistake

CAIRO: Gulf Cooperation Council ambassadors have expressed concerns to UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi about the safety of nuclear facilities close to their countries amid the Israeli-Iranian crisis, Qatar state news agency reported on Saturday.
The ambassadors warned Grossi during a meeting in Vienna about the “dangerous repercussions” of targeting nuclear facilities.
The warning comes after the Israeli military said at one point on Thursday that it had struck the Russian-built Bushehr facility, but later said the comment had been made by mistake. Bushehr is Iran’s only operating nuclear power plant, which sits on the Gulf coast.
The potential consequences of an attack on the plant — contaminating the air and water — have long been a concern in the Gulf states.


Aviation regulator orders Air India to remove officials

Aviation regulator orders Air India to remove officials
Updated 13 min 39 sec ago
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Aviation regulator orders Air India to remove officials

Aviation regulator orders Air India to remove officials
  • Airline’s voluntary disclosures “point to systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring, and internal accountability”
  • Air India crash in June 12 in Ahmedabad killed all but one of the 242 people on board. At least 38 others on the ground also perished

NEW DELHI: New Delhi’s civil aviation regulator has ordered Air India to remove three officials from their roles over “systemic failures,” according to a directive seen by AFP Saturday, as the carrier comes under scrutiny after a deadly crash.

The instruction from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) did not detail whether it was linked to the June 12 crash in Ahmedabad, which killed all but one of the 242 people on board. At least 38 others on the ground were killed.

The DGCA directive noted that the airline’s voluntary disclosures “point to systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring, and internal accountability.”

“Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible for these operational lapses,” said the order, which was issued on Friday.

“These officials have been involved in serious and repeated lapses,” it said.

The regulator has directed Air India to remove three officials named in the order “from all roles and responsibilities related to crew scheduling,” take disciplinary action, and report on steps taken within 10 days.

Future violations could also result in “license suspension.”

The airline said on Saturday it had implemented the order.

“Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices,” it said in a statement.

Investigators are attempting to find out what caused the airline’s London-bound plane to hurtle to the ground moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad.

Air India said on Thursday that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane was “well-maintained” and that the pilots were accomplished flyers.

The cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder have been recovered from the crash site.


Suicide blast kills 20 anti-jihadist fighters in Nigeria: militia leader

Suicide blast kills 20 anti-jihadist fighters in Nigeria: militia leader
Updated 34 min 13 sec ago
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Suicide blast kills 20 anti-jihadist fighters in Nigeria: militia leader

Suicide blast kills 20 anti-jihadist fighters in Nigeria: militia leader
  • Surrounding villages have been repeatedly targeted by suicide bombers said to be acting for Boko Haram, a group of armed Islamic militants that has been active in the area for at least 16 years

KANO: A suicide attack in Nigeria’s Borno state by a woman allegedly acting for Boko Haram has killed at least 20 anti-jihadist fighters, militia fighters said AFP on Saturday.
Police have confirmed 10 people have been killed and said the overall toll could be higher.
Late on Friday, a woman allegedly detonated explosives strapped to her body at a haunt for vigilantes and local hunters assisting the Nigerian military in fighting “jihadists” in the town of Konduga, the militia told AFP.
“We lost 20 people in the suicide attack which happened yesterday around 9:15 p.m. (2015 GMT) while our members were hanging out near the fish market,” said Tijjani Ahmed, the head of an anti-jihadist militia in Konduga district.
Konduga is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Maiduguri, the capital of the northeastern state of Borno.
Surrounding villages have been repeatedly targeted by suicide bombers said to be acting for Boko Haram, a group of armed Islamic militants that has been active in the area for at least 16 years.
Konduga town itself had seen a lull in such attacks in the past year.
“Eighteen people died on the spot, while 18 others were injured. Two more died in hospital, raising the death toll to 20,” Ahmed said.
A mass burial was held on Saturday, an AFP reporter saw.
The alleged bomber was dressed as a local heading to the crowded nearby fish market.
She detonated her explosives as soon she reached the shed used by the militia fighters as a hangout, said militia member Ibrahim Liman.
He gave the same toll as Ahmed.
Borno state police spokesman Nahum Daso told AFP 10 bodies had been recovered from the “suicide attack.”
He said the toll could be higher as “details are sketchy.”
Konduga fish market, which is usually busy at night, has been the target of a series of suicide attacks in the past.
The conflict between the authorities and Boko Haram has been ongoing for 16 years.
In that time, more than 40,000 people have dioed and around two million been displaced from their homes in the northeast, according to the United Nations.
The violence has spread to neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight armed militant Islamic groups.


Co-founder of digital platform The Open Crate shares Art Basel top picks

Co-founder of digital platform The Open Crate shares Art Basel top picks
Updated 15 min 19 sec ago
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Co-founder of digital platform The Open Crate shares Art Basel top picks

Co-founder of digital platform The Open Crate shares Art Basel top picks

BASEL: Tunisian art expert Amina Debbiche, who co-founded digital art platform The Open Crate alongside Nora Mansour, shares her top artworks from Switzerland’s Art Basel contemporary art fair, which wraps up on Sunday.

Amina Debbiche. (Supplied)

The Open Crate allows clients to digitalize their entire collection, whether it be artwork, design objects or luxury items.

Yto Barrada at Sfeir-Semler Gallery

“I first discovered Yto Barrada’s work at the Arsenale during the 2011 Venice Biennale and was instantly captivated by her poetic and political approach. Since then, I’ve followed her brilliant trajectory across film, photography, textiles, and installation. Born in Paris and raised in Tangier, her practice explores themes of memory, displacement, and resistance. We’ve now come full circle - she will represent France at the upcoming Venice Biennale, curated by Myriam Ben Salah.”

Yto Barrada’s work at Art Basel. (Supplied)

 Alia Farid’s ‘Elsewhere’ at Art Basel Unlimited

Alia Farid’s ‘Elsewhere’ at Art Basel Unlimited. (Supplied)

“Alia Farid’s ‘Elsewhere’ deeply moved me with its layered storytelling and political tenderness. The work maps Arab and South Asian migration to Latin America and the Caribbean through handwoven rugs made with Iraqi weavers. It documents hybrid identities, memory, and solidarity across geographies. I’ve long admired how Alia reclaims overlooked narratives with such poetic clarity. Her voice feels both urgent and timeless.”

Eunnam Hong’s ‘Safeway’ at Mendes Wood DM booth

“Eunnam Hong’s painting … stopped me in my tracks — cinematic, hyper-stylized, and effortlessly cool. With nods to Cindy Sherman and K-drama aesthetics, the Korean artist explores identity and performance through staged, uncanny tableaus. Her figures- drenched in soft light, wrapped in curlers and headscarves, clutching vitamin D and Safeway bags - feel both retro and unmistakably now. It’s suburban surrealism meets generational moodboard, complete with Converse and quiet rebellion. Hong is one of the most compelling contemporary voices out there - sharp, relatable, and iconic in the making.

Eunnam Hong’s ‘Safeway’ at Mendes Wood DM booth. (Supplied)
​​​​​

Simone Fattal’s ‘Music On My Mind’ (2024)

“Simone Fattal is a Syrian Lebanese artist whose sculptural practice draws from archaeology, poetry, and mythology to explore themes of memory, exile, and resilience. Born in Damascus and raised in Beirut, she has created only a few large-scale sculptures, making each one rare and significant. Her works are held in major collections including MoMA, Centre Pompidou, and the Sharjah Art Foundation … I was drawn to “Music On My Mind” for its quiet power — the naive, totemic form and subtle reference to sound felt deeply poetic.”

Simone Fattal’s ‘Music On My Mind’ (2024). (Supplied)

M'barek Bouhchichi’s ‘Terr

M'barek Bouhchichi’s ‘Terra’ series (2024)


Noah Davis’s ‘The Goat from Grayson’ (2008) at David Zwirner

“I love this work for its quiet intensity and material poetry and Selma Feriani, who presents it, is one of the few truly independent voices from the region to make it to Art Basel with a consistently bold program. M’barek Bouhchichi, born in southeastern Morocco, lives and works in Tahanaout, Morocco. The artist collaborates with women artisans to create henna-dyed wool works that evoke both landscape and memory. His ‘Terra’ series explores cultural links between Morocco and Mali through ancestral weaving techniques. These minimal, earthy compositions blur the line between textile and painting. A major solo show in Tunis is coming this September.”

Noah Davis’s ‘The Goat from Grayson’ (2008) at David Zwirner

“I’ve always been drawn to Noah Davis’s ability to create scenes that feel both dreamlike and grounded in Black lived experience. “The Goat from Grayson” (2008), shown here at David Zwirner, captures his signature blend of poetic realism, rich symbolism and painterly tenderness. The glowing tree, the quiet tension, and the spiritual undertone pull you in. Davis, who passed away tragically young at 32, was not only a brilliant painter but also the founder of The Underground Museum in Los Angeles, a vital space for Black art and community. His work was the subject of a major retrospective at the Hammer Museum in 2020, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential artists of his generation.”

Eric Fischl’s ‘After the Funeral’ (2017)

“Eric Fischl’s paintings often feel like paused movie scenes, loaded with tension, memory, and unspoken drama. I was instantly drawn to these two women, something about the cigarette, the ice cube, the gaze, it felt like I’d stumbled into a Woody Allen film mid-conversation. Fischl captures that strange mix of intimacy and detachment with uncanny precision. A key figure of American figurative painting since the 1980s, his work explores suburban psychology and social dynamics. He is represented by Skarstedt, a gallery known for championing major contemporary artists like David Salle, Cindy Sherman, and George Condo.”

Eric Fischl’s ‘After the Funeral’ (2017)

Sheila Hicks’s ‘Lianes Etoiles’ (2020)

“Sheila Hicks’s ‘Lianes Etoiles’ is pure visual rhythm. Its vibrant threads, soft textures, and sculptural layering instantly drew me in. There is something meditative and sensual about the way the colors pulse across the surface. Hicks, a pioneer of textile art, has redefined fiber as a sculptural and painterly medium for over six decades. This piece feels both contemporary and ancestral, like a coded language of color and craft. It is shown by Alison Jacques, a gallery that consistently champions strong, visionary practices.”

Wael Shawky’s ‘I Am Hymns of The New Temples: Pompeii glass amphora (#06)’ (2023) at the booth of Lia Rumma

“Wael Shawky’s amphora sculptures are a masterclass in historical layering and contemporary wit. Representing the Egyptian Pavilion at the last Venice Biennale, his work was among the most celebrated and nearly won the Golden Lion. The video “Drama 1882” retelling of the ’Urabi revolution that was co‑funded through support from Mai Eldib, who organised key patronage, was later acquired by a major institution in the Middle East. These Murano glass forms, draped in ornate textiles, are as subtle as they are rich in reference. Shawky continues to expand the visual language of Arab myth, ritual, and storytelling with quiet force.”

Wael Shawky’s ‘I Am Hymns of The New Temples: Pompeii glass amphora (#06)’ (2023) at the booth of Lia Rumma

Amoako Boafo’s ‘Floral One Piece’ (2025) at Gagosian Gallery’s booth

“This striking portrait by Amoako Boafo was exhibited at the Gagosian booth, where the brilliant Rola Wazni, director of Gagosian Paris, walked me through a presentation curated by Francesco Bonami. Boafo, originally from Ghana and based in Vienna, is known for his lush finger-painted figures and bold exploration of Black identity and presence. His textured brushwork and floral detailing here are both tender and defiant. The composition radiates quiet power, dignity, and individuality. Rolla’s sharp eye and grace made the experience even more memorable.”

Amoako Boafo’s ‘Floral One Piece’ (2025) at Gagosian Gallery’s booth

Maurizio Cattelan and Rudofl Stingel at Gagosian Gallery’s booth

“Gagosian’s booth at Art Basel 2025, curated by Francesco Bonami, offered a brilliantly irreverent pairing of Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘No’ (2021) and Rudolf Stingel’s ‘Untitled’ (2012). Cattelan’s kneeling figure in a suit, head covered by a paper bag, delivers a biting satire of modern-day capitalism and mental health collapse — a man caught between denial and trauma, refusing to face symbolic castration or mortality. Stingel’s silvery abstraction provided a haunting, meditative counterpoint, echoing themes of absence and ego. Together, the works reflected on visibility, repression, and the absurd rituals of the art world. The result was a sharp, minimalist statement that lingered long after.”


Exiled former Tunisia leader sentenced to 22 years: reports

Exiled former Tunisia leader sentenced to 22 years: reports
Updated 57 min 10 sec ago
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Exiled former Tunisia leader sentenced to 22 years: reports

Exiled former Tunisia leader sentenced to 22 years: reports

TUNIS: A Tunis court has sentenced exiled former president Moncef Marzouki in absentia to 22 years in prison for offenses related to “terrorism,” Tunisian media reported on Saturday.
Four other defendants, including his former adviser Imed Daimi and former head of the national bar association Abderrazak Kilani, were also handed the same sentence late Friday.
A staunch critic of President Kais Saied who has been living in France, Marzouki had already been sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison in two separate cases, one involving “provoking disorder.”
The latest ruling came after a press conference held in Paris, during which he, along with Daimi and Kilani, sharply criticized state institutions and members of the Tunisian judiciary, reports said.
Marzouki, who served as Tunisia’s third president from 2011 to 2014, said in a statement the ruling was “surreal.”
He said it came as part of a “series of verdicts that have targeted some of Tunisia’s finest men and continue to provoke the world’s mockery.”
Tunisia emerged as the Arab world’s only democracy following the ousting of longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, after it kicked off the Arab Spring uprisings.
But since a sweeping power grab by Saied in July 2021 when he dissolved parliament and began ruling by decree, rights groups have warned of a sharp decline in Tunisian civil liberties.
In April, a mass trial saw around 40 public figures, mainly critics of the authorities, sentenced to long terms on charges including plotting against the state.
Other media figures and lawyers also critical of Saied have been prosecuted and detained under a law he enacted in 2022 to prohibit “spreading false news.”