Kuwait stripped citizenship from 2,192 individuals this week, according to Arab Times, in the latest move by a government committee reviewing nationality records. The Supreme Committee to Investigate Kuwaiti Citizenship, chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud al-Sabah, recommended the revocations for Cabinet approval. The action aligns with expanded provisions under amendments to the 1959 Nationality Law.
The Arab Times said the list of names was published following the committee’s decision. Similar announcements have become routine as the committee examines thousands of cases. Kuwaiti law permits revocation of citizenship acquired by naturalization for specified reasons, a provision applied with greater frequency in recent years.
Minority Rights Group International reported that Kuwait revoked the citizenship of more than 35,000 people between August and December 2024 after approval of Decree-Law No. 116/2024. The legislation broadened the grounds for revocation to include moral turpitude or dishonesty or actions threatening state security. The group issued its findings in a February 2025 statement calling for legal reforms.
Reports from Dawn MENA indicate that women who obtained citizenship through marriage form a large share of those affected. The process references earlier decrees and parliamentary actions that have reshaped eligibility rules. These developments follow the emir’s suspension of parliament in May 2024.
Kuwait’s citizen population stands at just over 1.5 million according to local assessments cited in regional coverage. The Supreme Committee continues to review files and release updated lists of revocations at regular intervals. Those affected lose associated rights including preferential access to state services and employment.
The committee’s decisions require only Cabinet ratification and offer no judicial appeal under applicable rules. Further rounds of reviews are expected in subsequent weeks as the body advances through its caseload of historical naturalization files. Arab Times has carried the official notifications in its coverage of the committee’s work.
