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2 clusters · 4 sources · 10 days · First seen · Last updated

Kuwait nationality law and citizenship reforms

Overview

Kuwait has implemented significant changes to its nationality laws, involving the revocation of citizenship and the restriction of political rights for naturalized citizens.

In mid-August 2026, the government revoked or declared the loss of citizenship for 30 individuals following a review of nationality cases. This included six individuals through decrees issued at Al-Seif Palace and an additional 24 individuals whose citizenship was declared lost under Article 11 of the Kuwaiti Nationality Law. These decisions affected members of several families and were approved by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

Following these revocations, Emir Mechaal al-Ahmad Al-Sabah approved a decree stripping naturalized citizens of their rights to vote, run for office, or be appointed to parliamentary bodies. This amendment removes a previous provision that allowed naturalized citizens to exercise voting rights after holding nationality for 30 years.

The reforms aim to restrict citizenship to those with direct blood ties to Kuwait. The measures include the abolition of naturalization through marriage for those who obtained it since 1987 and targeting dual nationals and those accused of obtaining citizenship through fraud. The decree also introduces provisions for the electronic issuance of citizenship certificates and allows for the revocation of nationality if individuals are found to have intentionally added unregistered persons to their nationality files. These actions are part of a broader campaign that has seen tens of thousands of people lose their nationality since 2024, following the dissolution of Parliament and the suspension of certain constitutional provisions in late 2023 and early 2024.

Entities

Kuwait · Council of Ministers · Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah · Kuwait News Agency · Mechaal al-Ahmad Al-Sabah

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. about 15 hours ago

    [POLITICS] 4 sources
    Kuwait Emir strips naturalized citizens of voting and election rights

    Kuwait's Emir has issued a decree stripping naturalized citizens of their rights to vote, run for office, or hold parliamentary appointments, as part of a broader citizenship reform campaign.

  2. 10 days ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Kuwait revokes citizenship of 30 individuals

    Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of 30 individuals following a government review of nationality cases and decisions by the Supreme Committee for Kuwaiti Citizenship Investigation.

Sources

1001infos.net · aden-city.net · journaldupays.com · royanews.tv

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history