Kuwait is tightening up on citizenship. Checks with allies and fewer welfare benefits

The crackdown on citizenship has come full circle. Kuwait has taken a turn in its political history: from the hybrid monarchical-parliamentary system that for decades characterised the emirate, now led by Sheikh Misha’al Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, towards a model of executive centralisation that recalibrates identities, rights and internal power dynamics. The virtual suspension of parliamentary life in May 2024 paved the way for a series of decrees – 116/2024, 158/2024 and, above all, the recent 52/2026 – which redefine citizenship as an administrative and security tool, removed from judicial scrutiny and tied to stringent requirements of single nationality, biometrics and genetic proof of lineage.

The crux of the reform is both legal and political. Article 22 of Decree-Law 52/2026 classifies every decision on the acquisition, revocation or loss of citizenship as an ‘act of sovereignty’ that cannot be challenged: a clear break from the previous practice which allowed for administrative appeals all the way to the Court of Cassation. At the same time, Article 11 bis imposes on naturalised citizens the obligation to renounce any other nationality, on pain of the retroactive nullity of the naturalisation decree; Article 16 links revocation to the total loss of benefits and economic entitlements; Article 20 defines DNA and biometrics as verification tools.

The scope of who qualifies as a citizen is thus defined using stricter and more technical criteria, but above all with fewer safeguards. Tens of thousands of cases are under review: internal estimates cite up to 70,000 individuals, including those whose citizenship has been revoked and those being verified, with a focus on the approximately 40,000 women naturalised through marriage. The message is: to close loopholes regarding dual citizenship and irregular documentation; to reshape the demographic-political balance by curbing the expansion of electoral bases that could be antagonistic to the traditional axis of the ruling family.

From an economic perspective, the aims of the austerity measures are clear. To reduce the number of welfare recipients in order to cut structural spending and free up resources for the implementation of the “New Kuwait 2035” programme. In practice, this means savings of up to €17 billion by 2031 and an improved valuation of sovereign debt. Rapid reforms are also on the horizon – from the possible introduction of VAT to the privatisation of utilities – as well as the restart of stalled infrastructure projects. There are also risks: liquidity migrating to more predictable jurisdictions, and less liquid property in a market where non-citizens have limited access to home ownership.

Kuwait’s decision is part of a regional trend towards greater security: the integration of databases with Gulf partners, transnational registers, and the standardisation of protocols. It marks a shift from a parliamentary exception towards alignment with more centralised models. If the fragmentation of tribal opposition remains manageable, the emirate could consolidate a ‘technocratic stability’ that trades debate for swift decision-making and fiscal sustainability. The next window will reveal a great deal: the expiry of the 90-day deadline for single nationality, and the large-scale implementation of biometric checks. If macroeconomic indicators improve whilst capital and talent remain at home, the gamble will appear to have paid off. If, on the other hand, investment and the property market cool off, the price of this new sovereignty could prove steep. In any case, the signal is already clear in the Gulf: in Kuwait City, citizenship has become the linchpin of a new system of governance.