An unexpected sandstorm that swept Kuwait on Friday forced the oil-rich Gulf emirate to suspend its oil exploration and exports, state-owned Kuwaiti Petroleum Corporation said.

A heavy sandstorm is seen sweeping across Kuwait on March 25, 2011. An unexpected sandstorm that swept Kuwait on Friday forced the oil-rich Gulf emirate to suspend its oil exploration and exports, state-owned Kuwaiti Petroleum Corporation said. [Du Jian/Xinhua]

The KPC said it is committed to honoring its contracts with local and foreign customers through its emergency plans.

"Due to the bad weather the state of emergency was declared in all KPC facilities, petro stations and export outlets," said Sheik Talal, an official at the KPC.

The KPC also halted maintenance operations at oil refineries until the weather improves.

The Kuwaiti International Airport was also shut down after the heavy storm suddenly hit the oil-rich Gulf emirate around 6 p.m. ( 1500 GMT). Visibility was reduced to several meters in some areas.

The desert nation of Kuwait is the fourth largest exporter in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and pumps around 2.3 million barrels of crude per day.