SHARE In the first of a two-part series to mark the 30-year anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait, we speak to residents who lived in the UAE during the time. The second part will focus on the UAE's role in the battle. In the early hours of January 17, 1991, the phone rang at Christine Rendel’s Abu Dhabi home. “Ms Rendel,” a grave voice said. “The war has begun.” The call came from her manager at the city’s Al Jazirah hospital where Ms Rendel was director of nursing. Things would never be the same again. Thirty years on from Desert Storm - the US-led airwar to drive Iraqi regime forces out of Kuwait – UAE residents have been reflecting on the uncertainty, fear and resilience that pervaded the country then. Some left, others kept the car full of petrol with a supply of water in the back should events turn serious but many stayed.