Sara Akbar’s 28 years of experience in the oil and gas industry make her one of the region’s most respected spokespeople — of either sex — on this vital sector.  A chemical petroleum engineer, Akbar worked at the Kuwait Oil Company from 1981 to 1999, and at KUFPEC from 1999 to 2005. She played an important role in oil production recovery efforts following the 1990 Iraq invasion, shortly after Saddam Hussein’s army had blown up 80 percent of Kuwait’s wells. Her action earned her the name ‘firefighter’ and she received the Global 500 Award from the UN Environmental Programme as a result.