He Tried to Leave Kuwait — What Investigators Found Led to 37 Citizenship Withdrawals

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 17: An investigation that began with the arrest of a man attempting to leave Kuwait has uncovered an alleged multi-generation citizenship and identity forgery case, resulting in the withdrawal of Kuwaiti citizenship from 37 people, according to investigative findings.

The case began when the Nationality Investigations Department placed a warning on the name of a man born in 1991 after suspicions arose over the validity of his Kuwaiti citizenship. He was detained while attempting to travel and, during questioning, allegedly admitted that he had been registered in official records under the name of his uncle, who was listed as his father. Authorities seized documents confirming his Gulf nationality and expanded the investigation to establish the identity of the man registered as his father.

Investigators found that the uncle, born in 1953 and granted Kuwaiti citizenship in 1973, allegedly also held a different Gulf identity. His Gulf name was reportedly completely different from the four-part Kuwaiti name under which he was registered. Investigations also established that he had left Kuwait in 2024.

The investigation then took another turn when authorities examined his family records. Fourteen children were registered under his name, but two were allegedly not his biological sons. Investigators found that they were the sons of two of his Gulf brothers and had allegedly been registered as his children. One was the man detained in the original case, born in 1991, while the second, born in 1992, had reportedly left Kuwait several months ago.

Authorities also turned to genetic testing to strengthen the investigation. An old DNA sample belonging to the grandfather registered in the records had been preserved at the Forensic Evidence Department since 2012, when it was taken in connection with a nationality transaction. Investigators used the preserved sample to conduct genetic comparisons and establish biological relationships within the family file.

The investigation subsequently expanded beyond the original suspect and the alleged identity of his uncle, uncovering registrations that reportedly extended across several generations. Authorities ultimately withdrew Kuwaiti citizenship from 37 individuals, including the original suspect, members of the uncle's registered family and their descendants.

The authorities are continuing to examine other family files to determine whether additional irregular registrations or nationality violations exist. Each case is being reviewed separately based on documentary evidence, investigations, confessions and genetic testing where required.