Kuwait uncovers largest citizenship fraud in history

Dubai: Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of more than 1,060 individuals in what is being described as the largest nationality fraud operation in the country’s history, following an intensive investigation that uncovered decades-long networks of forged identities and falsified records.

The investigation was led by the Supreme Committee for the Investigation of Kuwaiti Nationality, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior’s Nationality Investigation Department. The campaign uncovered decades-old fraud networks involving forged identities, false family claims, and dual nationalities, local newspaper Al Rai reported.

Kuwaiti authorities reopened a dormant 2008 case last year following a tipoff. It involved a man born in 1956 who assumed a false Kuwaiti identity while holding Gulf citizenship. Despite confessing in 2006, he remained on official records and added 44 children and 122 dependents to his profile over time. DNA tests later confirmed he was not related to many of them, triggering mass revocations.

Another case involved a deceased individual born in 1940, under whose name 440 people had illegally acquired Kuwaiti nationality. These were revoked in one session during the committee’s most recent meeting.

In total, around 700 revocations were issued in the latest round, across four major files. Sixteen individuals were found to hold dual Gulf or Arab nationalities in violation of citizenship rules.

The investigation, covering cases between 2000 and 2025, involved DNA analysis, record audits, and foreign government correspondence. Officials said revocations were based on verified documentation.