Kuwait marked two of its most significant national occasions this week, celebrating the 65th anniversary of National Day and the 35th anniversary of Liberation Day with large public festivities held under the patronage of Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Liberation Day on February 26 commemorates the end of seven months of Iraqi occupation in 1991, when coalition forces led by the United States drove Iraqi troops out of the country following a brief ground campaign. The withdrawal of Iraqi forces from Kuwait on that day remains a defining moment in Kuwait’s modern history. Then U.S. President George H.W. Bush famously declared “tonight Kuwait is free” in his address to a joint session of Congress on March 6, 1991, marking the successful liberation of Kuwait by coalition forces. He directed these words to Ambassador Sheikh Saud Al-Nasser Al-Sabah to confirm the end of the Gulf War.
Across Kuwait City, skydivers descended over the skyline while fighter jets roared overhead in ceremonial fly-pasts. Crowds gathered along the Gulf Road and near major landmarks such as Kuwait Towers and Martyr’s Park to watch the displays. Flag-raising ceremonies also took place across the country’s six governorates, creating a festive atmosphere nationwide.
National Day, observed on February 25, honours Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the leader who negotiated the end of Kuwait’s British protectorate and guided the country to full independence in 1961. The celebrations were later moved from the summer to February to make outdoor festivities possible.
With the two public holidays falling midweek and merging with the weekend, residents enjoyed a four-day break. Streets were decorated in the national colours of green, white, red and black, while families gathered at beaches, parks and malls, celebrating with water balloon games and flag-draped cars , traditions that have come to define the festive season in Kuwait.
