KUWAIT CITY, July 19: A citizenship forgery case that had been dormant since 2008 was revived following a report received through the Nationality Investigation Department hotline, leading to the revocation of the Kuwaiti citizenship of 119 individuals confirmed to have obtained the citizenship fraudulently. Sources revealed the case involves a Gulf national suspected of acquiring Kuwaiti citizenship through fraudulent means, in violation of Article One of the Nationality Law. Sources said the tip-off received through the hotline of the department triggered an intensive investigation of the individual and his descendants.

Sources stated that the department affirmed that every communication received through its hotline is treated seriously and undergoes scrutiny to verify legitimacy and rule out malicious intent. “The department also checks the background of the reporting party in line with its standard protocol,” sources added. The investigation revealed that the individual in question was the subject of a formal letter sent by his Gulf country to Kuwaiti authorities back in 2008.

The letter included his Gulf citizenship information, family details, and national identification number, and requested clarification on how he acquired Kuwaiti nationality and whether his father held Kuwaiti citizenship. At the time, Kuwaiti authorities responded, acknowledging that the individual fraudulently obtained Kuwaiti citizenship and that he was using two completely different names -- one under his Gulf nationality and another under Kuwaiti identity. Despite this evidence, the case was inexplicably closed without further action.

Further inquiries revealed that two of the man’s grandchildren had their Kuwaiti citizenship revoked in separate decisions -- one in 2016 and the other in 2024. Upon a thorough review of the file, it was found that a total of 119 individuals -- all associated with the original citizenship forger -- had also fraudulently obtained Kuwaiti nationality and have now had it revoked. The investigation is ongoing into other dependents linked to the case. Authorities have affirmed that all the necessary legal and administrative measures will be taken based on the final findings.