Sheikh Mohammed recalls Iraq's invasion of Kuwait

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Sheikh Mohammed recalls Iraqs invasion of Kuwait

Dubai - "For us Emiratis, Kuwait was not just a neighbour. It was truly a part of our lives."

By Team KT

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Published: Sat 23 Feb 2019, 10:18 PM

Last updated: Sun 24 Feb 2019, 7:42 AM

In the 40th chapter of his latest book, Qissati, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, talks about Iraq's shocking invasion of Kuwait that changed the face of the Middle East forever.
The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait came as one of the biggest shocks of my military life and was seen as an outrage, not just in Dubai and the UAE but across the whole Gulf region.
For us Emiratis, Kuwait was not just a neighbour. It was truly a part of our lives.
Our children studied in Kuwaiti schools, our citizens were treated in Kuwaiti clinics, and our communities had developed strong ties to their Kuwaiti brothers and sisters.
The list is long, the debts owed are many, and the brotherhood between us and the people of Kuwait is deeper and more profound than many can comprehend.
The first news of the invasion came early in the morning of August 2, 1990. I relayed the news to my elder brother Sheikh Maktoum, who was then Crown Prince of Dubai, and I announced a state of emergency for all our military and security forces. I spoke to Sheikh Zayed and found him angry and sad at the same time.
Saddam's decision to invade Kuwait came as a shock to everyone, and was a major turning point that would transform the whole region.
Suddenly, the Gulf became the focus of international news headlines. A wave of panic broke out and many international companies considered withdrawing from the region.
We received tens of thousands of our Kuwaiti brothers and sisters. We welcomed them in our hotels and residential buildings and many of our people opened their homes, and their hearts, to them.
The invasion of Kuwait ended with the Iraqi forces withdrawing in disgrace. That was not the end of the story, but the beginning of a new era in the region. The invasion of Kuwait was a mistake of epic proportions, with far-reaching consequences that changed the face of the Middle East forever.
In what he is calling his "incomplete biography", His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has broken his latest book, Qissati (My Story), into 50 chapters, narrating 50 stories in his 50 years of serving the nation. Khaleej Times got a signed copy of the book from the Dubai Ruler and every day, we will be featuring excerpts from each of the 50 chapters.


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