Kuwait Liberation Day 2023: Date, History, Facts

The 26th of February is observed annually as Kuwait Liberation Day. This holiday commemorates the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation in 1991. The Liberation was the military operation led by the United States — Operation Desert Storm — to reclaim Kuwait from Iraq following the 1991 bombing of Iraq. There were pockets of resistance, especially at Kuwait International Airport, where Iraqi troops, supposedly unaware that a retreat order had already been issued, continued fighting, resulting in a fierce battle over the airport itself, when U.S. troops arrived. The majority of the fighting occurred in Iraq, not Kuwait. The military operation is also referred to as the Gulf War in common parlance.

The background of Kuwait Liberation Day

During the 1600s, Kuwait was established as a small fishing village. In 1899, the current nation became a British Protectorate. Sheik Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah assumed the position of Emir upon Kuwait’s independence in 1961, following the end of the British protectorate. Before Kuwait’s independence, on August 2, 1990, as a result of a dispute over oil revenues, Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait and began bombing Kuwait City. Six days later, on August 8, an Iraqi governor replaced the Kuwaiti government.

As the invasion was widespread, there was widespread anger. The United Nations Security Council set the date of January 15, 1991 as the deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait, as diplomatic efforts had yielded no progress. However, according to the legend, they remained in place until the deadline passed. On January 17, 1991, the U.S. ordered coalition forces to launch Operation Desert Storm, an attack against Iraqi forces. The Iraqi forces’ inability to combat the coalition forces was demonstrated by the fact that the ground war lasted only four days before the Iraqi tanks fled Kuwait on February 26, 1991.

National Day Kuwait 2023: Date, History, Facts

Today, Kuwait is prosperous, secure, and virtually crime-free. According to the Institute for Economics & Peace’s 2021 Global Peace Index, Kuwait ranks 36 out of 163 countries worldwide, indicating a high level of peace. It is safe to travel there, as the crime rate is low and the likelihood of foreigners being harmed or attacked is minimal. However, due to past events, some people continue to question its safety, giving Kuwait a reputation for insecurity. However, Kuwait is renowned as a gateway to the Muslim world and for its warm Arabian hospitality.

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5 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT KUWAIT

• Kuwait contains approximately 104 billion barrels of oil.
• The Kuwait Dinar is the most valuable currency in the world.
• Kuwaitis are a minority in their own country, with expats constituting the majority of the population.
• Approximately 42.8% of the population in Kuwait is obese.
• The name Kuwait is derived from an Arabic word that means “fort.”

KUWAIT LIBERATION DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	February 26	Sunday
2024	February 26	Monday
2025	February 26	Wednesday
2026	February 26	Thursday
2027	February 26	Friday