Kaleidoscope of wide-ranging citizenship fraud and security crackdown
Instances of duplication, fraudulent acquisition through false statements, and affiliations threaten the integrity of Kuwait

In a sweeping decision reflective of Kuwait’s growing resolve to preserve national identity and security, the Supreme Committee for the Investigation of Kuwaiti Nationality — chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef — has approved the revocation of Kuwaiti citizenship from a number of individuals and families involved in fraud, forgery, and actions deemed contrary to national interests.
The cases under review by the committee include instances of duplication, fraudulent acquisition of citizenship through false statements, and affiliations that threaten the state’s integrity. Citizenship revocation decisions are pending final approval by the Council of Ministers.
Al-Rai daily quoting senior security sources said, the committee also targeted individuals who insulted Kuwait and its leadership on social media, both domestically and abroad.
Authorities stated that such behavior is considered an attack on national dignity and cannot go unpunished. In some cases, entire families — children, grandchildren, and others listed under a single citizenship file — had their Kuwaiti nationality revoked as part of the sanctions.
The sources emphasized that social media is not a shield from accountability. Users engaging in illegal or slanderous activities, even from outside Kuwait, will face legal consequences. “The Kuwaiti leadership is a red line,” they said, warning that insolence and transgression would come at a steep cost.
Multiple high-profile cases have been uncovered in recent months, demonstrating the scale and sophistication of nationality-related fraud in Kuwait.
In one case dating back to 1986, an Iranian woman added her son from a previous marriage to her Kuwaiti citizenship file in agreement with her new Kuwaiti husband.
The son, born in Iran, later became a pilot in Kuwait. The fraud was only discovered decades later during an inheritance dispute following the husband’s death.
The DNA testing confirmed that the son was not biologically related to the Kuwaiti father. He was sentenced to seven years in absentia after fleeing to Iran.
Another case surfaced during police academy registration procedures, when inconsistencies in a citizenship file led to a deeper investigation.
The DNA tests revealed that a man fraudulently added as an uncle to the applicant’s file was not related to the family. This single falsification had enabled 39 individuals to obtain citizenship improperly.
Authorities also exposed a case involving a Gulf citizen who fraudulently acquired Kuwaiti nationality and continued to use his Gulf identity for cross-border travel to avoid detection.
Investigations confirmed that the photos and identities on both sets of documents matched, though the names did not. The individual and his sons fled the country once the fraud came to light. A total of 13 individuals were found to be implicated and are now subject to citizenship revocation and prosecution.
Another case uncovered through Gulf security coordination dated back to 2008. A Gulf national, convicted in a drug case and sentenced to 15 years, was suspected of holding fraudulent Kuwaiti citizenship.
Though flagged by Interpol, action was delayed until 2025 when his son applied for passport renewal, prompting a new investigation. The forged identity had enabled 28 dependents to obtain Kuwaiti nationality. DNA tests and fingerprint verification confirmed the deception, and the committee ultimately revoked the citizenship.
Perhaps the most extensive case involved a Gulf national who forged Kuwaiti citizenship in 2011 and used it to illegally register 41 children in his file, including three Yemeni nationals he falsely claimed as sons.
Investigators found that he left blank spaces in the children’s section of his citizenship file, later filling them in with names of people he had met seeking employment in Kuwait. The three Yemenis were arrested, tried, and deported. The forger fled Kuwait in 2011 and has remained abroad since.
Fingerprints and data obtained through Gulf Interpol confirmed that his real family in his country of origin consisted of just 14 members, while his Kuwaiti file listed 41.
The total number of beneficiaries through this falsified network reached 83 individuals, all of whom have now had their Kuwaiti citizenship revoked.
These developments underscore Kuwait’s zero-tolerance policy toward identity fraud and violations of national integrity.
Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef has reiterated that all offenders, regardless of their location or status, will face strict legal action. The Ministry of Interior’s investigations, backed by advanced technology, regional cooperation, and judicial oversight, continue to root out false citizenship claims and uphold the sanctity of Kuwaiti nationality.