Kuwait's cabinet has approved a draft decree amending provisions of the country's citizenship law, state media has reported.
It comes after recent moves to revoke thousands of citizenships.
The amendment “stems from the importance of regulating citizenship as a pillar of state sovereignty, and from a commitment to preserving Kuwait's national identity, strengthening national affiliation and maintaining Kuwait's legal sovereignty in all nationality matters”, state news agency Kuna said.
The move also aims to “ensure sovereignty in granting, revoking, withdrawing and stripping nationality within clear boundaries and sound legal controls”, it added.
The cabinet has submitted the draft law to the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal, for approval.
In a decree published in the official gazette on Saturday, Kuwait’s Supreme Committee for the Investigation of Kuwaiti Citizenship revoked the nationality of 120 people, mostly women, for breaching the country’s ban on dual citizenship.
Kuwait revoked the citizenship of almost 50,000 people in 2025 in a sweeping review of nationality files that officials say leaves “no one exempt”.
With just over 1.5 million citizens out of about 4.5 million residents, Kuwaitis are a minority in their own country. Citizenship is highly prized.
In December, Kuwait revoked the citizenship of prominent Islamic preacher, author and businessman Tariq Al Suwaidan. The moved also affected any dependents who obtained citizenship through him. The order did not specify a legal reason for the decision.
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 benefitting from dependency-based or “services rendered” naturalisation 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.
Critics warn that retroactive revocations, particularly against long-settled women, risk making people stateless. With thousands of files still under review, the total number of revocations is expected to rise.
