Kuwait Revokes Citizenship of 21 in Ministerial Decree by Interior Minister
Kuwait’s Interior Minister Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef revoked citizenship for 21 individuals through a decree issued April 29, 2026. The order, approved by the Supreme Committee for Kuwaiti Citizenship Investigation under Article 11 of the 1959 nationality law, appeared in the official gazette Kuwait Alyoum and called for immediate enforcement across all relevant authorities, Arab Times reported.
Arab Times reported that the decision was officially published in Kuwait Alyoum Issue No. (7/43) of 2026. It indicated the revocations followed the Supreme Committee’s approval and adhered to Article 11 of Amiri Decree No. 15 of 1959 and its amendments. The newspaper noted that instructions were given for all concerned authorities to implement the decision without delay. The ruling becomes effective from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
A decree-law amending the Kuwaiti Citizenship Law was published on April 13, 2026, and introduced further rules on naturalization and revocation. A KPMG assessment noted that the new Article 11 bis requires naturalized citizens to renounce any other nationality within three months. The amendments expand the grounds for withdrawal of nationality acquired by naturalization subject to committee approval. Any such loss results in forfeiture of all benefits acquired through citizenship, the assessment found.
A New Lines Magazine report placed the number of citizenship revocations since March 2024 at more than 70,000, with the Newsroom Initiative tracking over 71,059 cases through April 15 via official decrees. This represents about 4.6 percent of Kuwait’s citizen population of 1.545 million. The Supreme Committee for Kuwaiti Citizenship Investigation has accelerated its reviews in recent years under Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef’s chairmanship. Specific reasons for the 21 revocations were not disclosed in the published decree.
The 1959 nationality law’s Article 11 permits revocation by decree in designated circumstances following ministerial recommendation. Subsequent updates including Decree-Law No. 52 of 2026 have broadened these provisions, a European University Institute report noted. Committee rulings generally lack provisions for judicial review or appeal. Official announcements of such decisions continue to appear in the gazette at regular intervals.
Similar actions between August and December 2024 accounted for more than 35,000 revocations according to data cited by The New Arab. The committee announced thousands more in early 2025 including cases tied to dual nationality and alleged irregularities. Many of those affected have included women who acquired citizenship through marriage. The latest decree continues this pattern of periodic reviews by the authorities.
