One family tree – one fake brother, four fake families – 999 illegitimate citizens
This case, one of the largest of its kind, underscores the magnitude of the challenge facing authorities as they work to protect national resources and uphold the integrity of Kuwaiti citizenship.
- In a case that reads like a thriller buried deep within Kuwait’s archives, investigators have uncovered one of the most astonishing nationality-forgery schemes in the country’s history — a single fraudulent naturalization that mushroomed into a sprawling web of 999 illegitimate identities.
- For more than six decades, this fabricated family tree quietly expanded, draining public funds, claiming benefits meant for genuine citizens, and exploiting every privilege tied to Kuwaiti nationality.
- What began in the 1960s with one forged citizenship application eventually grew into a shadow network of false siblings, wives, and fabricated descendants—an entire community built on deception.
- Today, as authorities peel back the layers of this massive fraud, the case has become a stark reminder of the scale of the challenge facing the state as it fights to protect its resources and defend the integrity of Kuwaiti citizenship.
One of the largest nationality-forgery cases handled by the Nationality Investigation Department has uncovered a file containing 999 individuals, all linked to a man who obtained Kuwaiti citizenship in the 1960s through fraudulent means. This forged citizenship opened the door for hundreds of others to be added to his file over the years, costing the state tens of millions of dinars.
According to informed sources, the case traces back to 1961 when a man identified only as “S.” applied for Kuwaiti nationality. He was granted citizenship under Article One following an official interview and supporting witness testimony.
At that time, his naturalization was deemed legitimate. Six years later, in 1967, he submitted a request to naturalize another man as his older brother.
This individual also appeared before the committee accompanied by witnesses who confirmed the relationship, and he too received Kuwaiti citizenship.
The file under investigation, however, belongs to the man naturalized in 1967, who is now deceased. Authorities found that he had provided false statements to the committee, reports Al-Rai daily.
Meanwhile, S., the individual naturalized in 1961, is still alive. Investigations further revealed that the man naturalized in 1967 had four wives and 31 children registered under his file.
DNA testing later determined that only 10 of the 31 were actually his children, and even these 10 were found to possess Gulf identity documents under names that differed significantly from their Kuwaiti records, except for their first names.
Evidence suggests that their father was originally a Gulf national whose name matched their Gulf documents, indicating that their registration in Kuwait was done fraudulently.
As suspicions of forgery grew stronger, investigators compared DNA from the 1961 naturalized citizen, presumed to be the uncle of the ten children, with the children’s fingerprints.
The results proved he had no biological connection to them, confirming that the man naturalized in 1967 was not his brother and that the foundational claim that led to the 1967 naturalization was fabricated. Officials concluded that the original act of forgery is now fully established.
Further investigation revealed that the forgery extended beyond the initial cases. Among the 31 individuals registered as the children of the man naturalized in 1967, at least four were proven not to be his sons.
These four individuals, falsely registered to acquire the benefits of Kuwaiti nationality, continued the pattern by adding forged children to their own files.
Their actions contributed significantly to the expansion of the fraudulent family tree, which eventually grew to 999 registered individuals.
Sources emphasized that after extensive procedures and verification, it was conclusively proven that the four supposed siblings were not related to the ten legitimate children, nor were any of them related to the man naturalized in 1961.
This confirmed that the 1967 naturalization was based entirely on false claims and that its beneficiaries were not entitled to Kuwaiti citizenship.
Officials highlighted the broader implications of such cases, noting how vast forgery files represent a direct theft of opportunities and rights from genuine citizens.
Forgers have benefited from the privileges attached to Kuwaiti nationality, including salaries, education, housing, healthcare, and various financial allowances.
In this single file of 999 individuals, 478 are over the age of 21 and 521 are under 21. Based on an estimated average monthly salary of 800 dinars for adults, the annual cost for this group alone exceeds 4.5 million dinars.
The educational expenses further illustrate the scale of the burden. Assuming an annual cost of roughly 5,000 dinars per student, the total educational expenditure on individuals within this forged family tree has reached tens of millions.
Housing benefits, including the 70,000-dinar loan provided to citizens, along with various assistance programs, have also been wrongfully claimed, representing substantial public funds diverted away from rightful beneficiaries.
This case, one of the largest of its kind, underscores the magnitude of the challenge facing authorities as they work to protect national resources and uphold the integrity of Kuwaiti citizenship.
