Sara Akbar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sara Akbar
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| Occupation | Chemical engineer, chief executive officer  |
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Sara Hussein Akbar (Arabic: سارة أكبر) is a brave and inspiring woman from Kuwait. She is a chemical engineer who worked with oil and gas. She also speaks up for women's rights. Sara is famous for helping put out huge oil fires in Kuwait. These fires were shown in a movie called Fires of Kuwait. Because of her amazing work, she received an award from the United Nations Environmental Program. Sara Akbar was one of the first women to lead an oil company in the Arabian Peninsula. She also served as a director for the Society of Petroleum Engineers in 2007.
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Early Life and Education
Sara Akbar grew up in a big family in Kuwait. She had nine brothers and sisters. Her father worked as an oil driller. Sara studied at Kuwait University. She was part of the first group of students to graduate with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1981.
Sara's Career in Oil and Gas
Sara Akbar started her career in office jobs. Soon, she became a petroleum engineer for the Kuwait Oil Company. She worked in many roles there. These included fighting fires, managing petroleum engineering, and doing research.
Founding Kuwait Energy
Between 1981 and 1999, Sara worked in the oil industry. She helped start a company called Kuwait Energy. She became its chief executive officer (CEO). This made her the first woman to hold such a high position in the Middle East's oil and gas industry.
Fighting the Kuwaiti Oil Fires
In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. During this time, many oil wells in Kuwait were set on fire. About 80% of the country's oil wells were attacked. Sara Akbar was the only woman on a special team of engineers. They bravely decided to put out these dangerous oil well fires.
Sara knew the oil fields very well. She said, "I worked on the oilfields, offshore and onshore, day and night... I knew every single one like the back of my hand." Her team's efforts were shown in the 1992 documentary Fires of Kuwait. This movie was even nominated for an Oscar.
Later Career and Leadership
From 2001 to 2005, Sara worked as a business development manager. This was for the Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company.
In 2006, Sara Akbar helped create new oil and gas laws in Somalia. She also helped with humanitarian efforts there. Under her guidance, Kuwait Energy helped about 200 women start small businesses.
Sara was a director for the Society of Petroleum Engineers in 2007. In January 2018, she joined the Board of Trustees for the Madinat al-Hareer project. This project is about developing Silk City and Boubyan Island. She stepped down as CEO of Kuwait Energy in 2017.
Awards and Recognition
Sara Akbar has received many important awards for her work:
- Global 500 Roll of Honour from the United Nations Environment Programme in 1993.
- Distinguished Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers in 2003.
- Charles F. Rand Memorial Gold Medal from the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers in 2013.
- Leader in Energy at the Women in Leadership Awards and Forum in 2009.
- WOW Award (Entrepreneurship Award) from the New Arab Woman Forum in 2017.
- She was ranked 46th on Forbes' list of "The Top 100 Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen."
Advocating for Women's Rights
Sara Akbar often talks about the role of women in the workplace. She especially focuses on women in Middle Eastern countries. She explains that women's rights are different in each country.
She believes Kuwait is a leader in women's rights. Women there have good access to education, business, and work. Sara strongly believes in the "power of women." This means women's ability to fight for their rights and win. She feels that Islam does not limit women socially. Instead, she thinks other cultural factors affect women's rights.
Personal Life
Sara Akbar says her parents' support was key to her success. She is married and lives in Kuwait City with her husband and three children. Sara Akbar is a Shia Muslim. She currently lives in Rumathiya.
