Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of almost 50,000 people over the past year in a sweeping review of nationality files that officials say leaves “no one exempt”.
With a citizen population of a little more than 1.5 million out of about 4.5 million residents, Kuwaitis are a minority in their own country. Yet citizenship is highly prized.
Below are key questions and answers explaining the campaign:
What is the process?
The drive is led by the Supreme Committee for Kuwaiti Nationality, established by a decree in 2024 and led by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al Sabah.
It has the authority to review all nationality files, identify cases where citizenship was obtained unlawfully, and recommend revocation. Its mandate covers all Kuwaitis, regardless of status or position.
Senior ministers and the Cabinet Secretary General also sit on the panel, which is charged with reviewing every nationality file to ensure compliance with Kuwait’s Nationality Law.
The process is systematic: the committee examines files, verifies lineage claims, and checks for irregularities using new biometric tools such as DNA and iris scans. Its recommendations go to the Cabinet, which ratifies revocations before they are published in the official state gazette.
The scale has been unprecedented. More than 35,000 people had been stripped of nationality by the end of 2024, rising to about 42,000 by March 2025 and around 50,000 by August.
What are the legal grounds?
Kuwait’s nationality law allows for revocation on several grounds: obtaining nationality through fraud, forgery or false statements; holding dual nationality without authorisation; actions deemed against the “supreme interests” of the state; or benefiting from dependency-based or “services rendered” naturalisations that may no longer be considered valid.
In some cases, state media has listed the reason for revocation simply as being in the “higher interest” of the state, a broad category not always accompanied by a detailed public explanation.
Authorities say the campaign is about safeguarding the integrity of Kuwaiti identity. Critics warn that retroactive revocations, particularly against long-settled women, risk creating cases of statelessness. With thousands of files still under review, the total number of revocations is expected to rise further.
Who is under review?
According to Sheikh Fahad, “all nationality files in Kuwait are under review,” including those of current and former MPs, ministers, celebrities, and ordinary citizens.
Officials emphasise there are no exceptions, and the process will continue until every file has been examined.
High-profile figures have been affected. In late 2024, actor Dawood Hussein, singer Nawal Al Kuwaitia, and influencer Noha Nabil had their citizenship revoked, along with dependants who gained nationality through them.
What happens to women naturalised through marriage?
A large proportion of those affected are foreign-born women who acquired citizenship through marriage to Kuwaiti men under Article 8 of the nationality law.
Official figures reported in local media indicate nearly 29,000 women have lost their nationality under the review, in some cases decades after naturalisation.
However, the Interior Ministry has been allowing a temporary period, particularly for women and dependants, to regularise residency, settle employment status, and file appeals.
Marriage cases had until August 2025 to appeal or adjust their legal status; during that window, they could still access some services and maintain a valid civil ID until the case was finalised.
Can affected people appeal?
In May 2025, the government launched an electronic grievance portal to allow those stripped of nationality to challenge the decision.
Appeals must be filed within set deadlines, with the cut-off for marriage cases in August 2025. A separate Cabinet-appointed committee oversees the appeal process.
Why does citizenship matter?
Kuwaiti citizenship grants access to generous state benefits, including healthcare and education, public-sector employment, subsidised housing and utilities, interest-free marriage loans, and monthly food rations.
The country’s oil wealth, Kuwait holds about seven per cent of the world’s proven crude reserves, underpins a per capita income among the highest in the world, making Kuwaiti nationality an economic advantage.
Citizenship rights have been at the centre of a long-standing debate in Kuwait, including the issue of about 120,000 stateless people in the country known as “bidoon”.
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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