Nearly two decades after the end of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia is planning to launch a three-year operation to clean up its shores from the world's largest oil slick that hit most of the region's coastlines and caused considerable ecological damage.

King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has ordered the massive operation that involves cleaning 800km of beaches and burying of large marine areas near the vital port of Ras Tanura north of Dammam in the Eastern region, the hub of the kingdom's mammoth hydrocarbon industry. Thousands of mangroves and other types of trees will also be planted in the damaged coastal areas while vessels will roam the polluted water to remove remaining oil sludge and dead plants.

The slick was reported to have been caused by invading Iraqi troops who tried to hamper an imminent onslaught by the US-led coalition forces in January 1991 to liberate Kuwait after nearly seven months of occupation.

US forces estimated the slick to have contained between 42 million and 460 million gallons of crude oil, spilt from coastal oil tankers. A few days after the oil was poured into the Gulf waters, the slick was reported to have reached a maximum size of about 161km by 68km and was 13cm thick.

According to a study sponsored by Unesco as well as the UAE, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and the US, the spill did little long-term damage. About half the crude oil evaporated, a million barrels were recovered and two million to three million barrels washed ashore, mainly in Saudi Arabia.

The oil moved southward, ending up on the north coast of Saudi Arabia, endangering the fragile intertidal zones and mangrove forests and destroying wildlife habitats. Immediate reports from Baghdad said US air strikes had caused a discharge of oil from two tankers. But coalition forces determined the main source of oil to be the Sea Island terminal in Kuwait.

"We will soon launch a clean-up operation covering nearly 800km of beaches and coastal areas in the Eastern region," said Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz, Chairman of the Saudi Environment Protection Authority. "The operation will be launched on orders by His Majesty the King to clean all areas that have sustained damage from the invasion of Kuwait. The operation will continue for three years until those areas are cleaned up completely."

He said a large part of the beaches of Ras Tanura, a key Saudi oil export terminal, would be buried to eliminate tar and other crude residue, adding that it would be planted with mangroves and other areas after it is cleaned.

"Several parties in the kingdom will take part in this operation to ensure its success. As for damages, there will be no compensation because of lack of proper information on damage and victims," he said.

Besides Saudi Arabia, other Gulf countries have suffered from the slick given their proximity to Kuwait and the fact that the Gulf is a landlocked area with the narrow Strait of Hormuz being its only outlet to the open seas.

The Gulf, home to more than 60 per cent of the world's oil, is already the most polluted sea in the world because of persistent oil incidents and leakages.

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