Kuwait revokes citizenship of 415 people in latest crackdown

Kuwait has recently revoked the citizenship of 415 individuals, as announced through six decrees in its official gazette. The majority of these cases were addressed in Decree No. 156, which invalidated the citizenship of 286 people. The official gazette, Kuwait Al Youm, did not disclose the identities of the 415 individuals whose citizenship was revoked. The measures also extend to those who may have acquired citizenship through these individuals as dependents.

Notably, billionaire Mahmoud Haidar, who has amassed a fortune in the real estate and private investment sectors in Kuwait, is among those whose citizenship has been withdrawn. This latest round of revocations is part of a nationwide review aimed at addressing citizenship issues that have resulted in the loss of nationality for thousands of people over the past two years. In June alone, Kuwait revoked the citizenship of over 2,000 individuals in eight decrees.

The Kuwaiti cabinet approved a draft decree earlier this year to amend provisions of the citizenship law. In 2025, the country conducted a sweeping review of nationality files, ultimately revoking citizenship for nearly 50,000 people. According to officials, the review left "no one exempt." Kuwaiti law permits the revocation of citizenship under various circumstances, such as obtaining nationality through fraud, forgery, or false statements; holding dual nationality without authorization; and engaging in actions deemed detrimental to the "supreme interests" of the state.

It is worth noting that Kuwaitis are a minority in their own country, with approximately 1.5 million citizens residing within a population of about 4.5 million.