Kuwait revokes citizenship of 415 people in latest crackdown

Kuwait has recently stripped away the citizenship of 415 individuals, as revealed by six decrees published in the country's official gazette. Decree No. 156, the most extensive among them, resulted in the loss of citizenship for 286 people. The official Kuwait Al Youm did not disclose the names of the 415 individuals whose citizenship was withdrawn. However, it noted that the action extends to those who might have acquired citizenship through their dependents.

Notable among those whose citizenship has been revoked is billionaire Mahmoud Haidar, whose fortune is rooted in Kuwait's real estate and private investment sectors. This latest round of citizenship revocations is part of a nationwide review campaign that has led to the stripping of citizenship from thousands of people over the past two years. In June alone, Kuwait revoked citizenship for more than 2,000 individuals through eight decrees.

Earlier this year, Kuwait's cabinet approved a draft decree to amend provisions of the citizenship law. In 2025, Kuwait conducted a sweeping review of nationality files, resulting in the revocation of citizenship for nearly 50,000 people. This review was said to leave "no one exempt". Kuwaiti law permits the revocation of citizenship under various grounds, such as obtaining nationality through fraud, forgery or false statements, holding dual nationality without authorization, and committing actions deemed against the "supreme interests" of the state.

Interestingly, Kuwaitis form a minority in their own country. There are approximately 1.5 million citizens amidst a population of about 4.5 million.