In late February 2026, the government of Kuwait approved a draft decree amending the country’s nationality law, reinforcing its stated sovereign authority over citizenship matters. In fact, on February 17, the Cabinet – chaired by Prime Minister Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah – approved the amendments and referred them to the Emir for final endorsement. The government reportedly framed the reforms as necessary to protect “the national fabric” while taking humanitarian and social considerations into account, and to clarify the legal framework governing the granting and withdrawal of nationality.
The draft was subsequently enacted as Decree-Law No. 52 of 2026 and entered into force upon its publication in the Official Gazette on 13 April 2026. Among its most consequential provisions, the law significantly limits judicial review of nationality decisions by treating them as sovereign acts, thereby substantially reducing the legal avenues available to individuals seeking to challenge decisions revoking or withdrawing their citizenship.
These amendments come amid a sweeping review of citizenship files that has intensified since the accession of Emir Mishal Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah in late 2023. As explained in several reports, the campaign to revoke citizenship has expanded significantly over the past two years, affecting individuals whose nationality was allegedly obtained through fraud, forgery, or irregular administrative procedures. The developments mark one of the most extensive citizenship reassessment processes in Kuwait’s modern history.
While the authorities temporarily slowed the publication of weekly citizenship revocation decisions during the regional conflict involving Iran in early 2026, the campaign resumed shortly after the ceasefire. Within days of the cessation of hostilities, Kuwaiti authorities announced the withdrawal of the nationality of more than 2,000 individuals in a single batch, signalling the continuation of the government’s revocation policy.
The estimates conducted in the reports indicate that tens of thousands of people have been impacted by citizenship withdrawal decisions. Official statements have linked the measures to efforts of correcting historical naturalization files and safeguarding national identity. However, the scale and pace of revocations have generated widespread public debate, particularly as entire families have reportedly been affected when citizenship of a primary holder was revoked.
By 15 April 2026, the independent Newsroom Initiative, which monitors decrees published in Kuwait’s Official Gazette, reported that more than 71,059 citizenship revocation cases had been recorded. This figure represents approximately 4.6% of Kuwait’s official citizen population. However, the number does not capture the full impact of the policy. According to a Kuwaiti political affairs academic cited by New Lines Magazine, once spouses, children, and grandchildren who derived their nationality from the primary citizenship holder are taken into account, the total number of people impacted could range between 250,000 and 300,000—potentially affecting nearly one in every five Kuwaiti nationals.
Those stripped of nationality face serious legal and social consequences. Loss of citizenship can entail the withdrawal of civil identification documents, passports, access to state services, and public-sector employment. Moreover, many affected individuals have limited avenues for appeal, a situation that has become considerably more acute following the entry into force of Decree-Law No. 52 of 2026, which sharply restricts judicial oversight of nationality decisions. This has intensified concerns about due process, the transparency of administrative decisions relating to nationality, and the risk of arbitrary deprivation of nationality and statelessness.
The government’s nationality policy has continued to evolve. On 3 July 2026, Kuwait introduced further amendments eliminating the naturalization pathway altogether, effectively ending the possibility of acquiring Kuwaiti citizenship through residence or discretionary naturalization. While the amendments included a limited reform allowing Kuwaiti women married to foreign nationals to retain their citizenship, they also further consolidated the state’s restrictive approach to nationality acquisition.
While the amendments were presented as an effort to codify and regulate the state’s powers more clearly, their broader implications remain uncertain. Their implementation will be critical in determining whether they provide clearer procedural safeguards or further entrench the state’s discretion in matters that directly affect fundamental rights and increase the risk of statelessness.
