Wives who lost their citizenship can travel with Kuwaiti passport
KUWAIT: The interior ministry announced on Thursday that thousands of wives of Kuwaiti men who had their citizenship revoked in the past year will be allowed to travel abroad using their Kuwaiti passport during the summer months. The ministry however added that such women must prove that they have started the process of obtaining their original country's identity to avail of this facility and be treated like Kuwaitis.
Over the past year, Kuwait revoked the citizenship of over 29,000 foreign women who were naturalized after getting married to Kuwaiti husbands since 1987. Authorities said the measure was taken because of a legal error in granting Kuwaiti citizenship to them. The ministry said in a statement on Thursday that such women can travel overseas using their Kuwaiti passport only between June 1 and September 30 this year.
But they must commit to start the process of reverting to their original nationality through their embassies in Kuwait, adding that all women have only one year to return to their original identity, starting June 1. After obtaining their original country's passport, the women will be given an official residency in Kuwait, the statement said. The ministry warned that obtaining their original country's passport is a precondition to availing of the special benefits that will be given to them by the government, mainly treating them like Kuwaitis. The women must show that they have started the process to obtain their nationality within the first three months of the one-year period, ending on Aug 31, the ministry said.
Amending their nationality status does not prevent the women from submitting grievances against revoking their Kuwaiti citizenship to a special committee set up by the government, the ministry added. The ministry also said that after obtaining their country's passport, women will be issued new civil IDs carrying their nationality and stating that they will be treated like Kuwaitis.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
3 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait's ‘Visionary Lighthouse' draws crowds at Expo 2025
OSAKA: Kuwait's pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan — dubbed the Visionary Lighthouse — has been attracting long daily queues since opening, thanks to its captivating blend of heritage and innovation. The pavilion showcases Kuwait as a country where tradition and progress coexist, using culture as a bridge for dialogue and understanding. Visitors journey through Kuwait's past, present, and future across two levels. The first floor explores the nation's rich heritage and traditions, while the second presents its aspirations through cutting-edge technology. Four exhibition halls use immersive features and AI to bring these stories to life. At the heart of the pavilion lies The Pearl, a symbolic space honoring Kuwait's historic pearl-diving legacy. A video circulating on social media, showing visitors interacting with Kuwaiti desert sand inside the pavilion, has helped drive interest. 'We saw the clip and came to try it ourselves — it looked fun,' said two young women waiting in line. A visiting family described the experience as magical: 'The planetarium felt like lying under the stars in the desert... We hope to return.' OSAKA: Visitors enjoy the different attractions at Kuwait's pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan. — KUNA photos On Friday, a Kuwaiti folklore troupe energized the stage in celebration of the visit by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. A group of five women told KUNA they loved the performance. 'Kuwaiti music is so rhythmic and beautiful,' one said. 'We didn't know much about Kuwait, but the music created a sense of connection,' added another. Minister of Information and Culture Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi said the pavilion offers a rich, multidimensional experience. 'It reflects Kuwait's future ambitions while honoring its authentic identity — a blend of cultural openness and deeply rooted values,' he told KUNA. Expo 2025 Osaka runs from April 13 to October 13 on Yumeshima Island under the theme Designing Future Society for Our Lives, with sub-themes including Saving Lives, Empowering Lives, and Connecting Lives. The expo focuses on innovation, sustainability, and cultural exchange, with around 160 countries and nine international organizations participating. More than 28 million visitors are expected. Kuwait's participation continues a historic legacy — it was one of just four Arab nations represented at Expo Osaka 1970, the first world expo held in Japan, which drew over 64 million visitors. — KUNA
Arab Times
5 hours ago
- Arab Times
Tag-along helpers with caravans against rules, law
KUWAIT CITY, June 2: The Kuwaiti Hajj Mission has warned against the use of any irregular permits or the employment of individuals outside the authorized frameworks during the Hajj season, whether in service or administrative roles. In a press statement, the mission said 'we call on all Hajj caravans and citizens to strictly comply with all the regulations and instructions issued by the competent authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to avoid legal accountability and penalties that may include the cancellation of permits and the ban on entry to the holy sites.' The mission pointed out that cooperation with the authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is essential to the success of the Hajj season, and that adherence to regulations is a national and religious responsibility. It disclosed that the competent authorities in the Kingdom have granted Hajj caravans a maximum of four percent of the total number of authorized pilgrims, to be used to allocate support service personnel, provided that they are issued official Hajj permits. These personnel must be registered with the caravans and meet the approved requirements. It added that the Kingdom also allocated a maximum of 10 percent of the number of pilgrims for administrative support workers. They are permitted to work during the Hajj season following the regulations and conditions in force with the Saudi authorities, but they are not permitted to perform the Hajj rituals. It also stated that the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in the Kingdom issued a circular prohibiting citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries from entering this category of administrative workers. This follows the use of these permits to fraudulently perform Hajj in irregular ways, which is a clear violation punishable by law. It explained that this comes within the framework of ongoing coordination with the relevant authorities in the Kingdom to ensure that Hajj caravans and Kuwaiti citizens adhere to the regulations and instructions governing the Hajj ritual. Meanwhile, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohammad Al-Wasmi confirmed that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs is directly informed about the progress of the Kuwaiti Hajj Mission's work and its preparations to receive Kuwaiti pilgrims. Al-Wasmi revealed, 'The activities, efforts, and work undertaken by the mission members are clear evidence of their dedication to completing the tasks assigned to them with precision and mastery.' He expressed his happiness 'that the mission is proceeding according to its plan and that success will be its ally.' He pointed out the vast experience of the mission members, which they have acquired over the past several years, alongside the new members who are dedicated to their work. He affirmed the mission's commitment to provide them with the necessary experience to enable the mission to perform its work with distinction. He also underscored the need for the committees to continue their efforts, remain active, and work as a team to achieve success. He added that this is not difficult to achieve, but success requires a great deal of effort, perseverance and patience; especially since success is not uncommon for the mission. He confirmed the ongoing communication with the committees to follow up the work of the mission and ease procedures for the Kuwaiti pilgrims.
Arab Times
6 hours ago
- Arab Times
75% Surge In Kuwaiti-to-Kuwaiti Marriages After Nationality Law Amendment
KUWAIT CITY, June 2: The amendment of some provisions of the Amiri Decree on the Kuwaiti Nationality Law – which aims to strengthen national identity, maintain public order and abolish Article Eight stipulating that the marriage of a foreign woman to a Kuwaiti man does not entail her becoming a Kuwaiti – has led to a 75 percent increase in the number of Kuwaiti women marrying Kuwaiti men and a lower rate of foreign marriages. The newspaper obtained a copy of the recent statistics issued by the Department of Legal Documentation at the Ministry of Justice, indicating that the number of marriages between Kuwaiti men and Kuwaiti women reached 2,916 from the beginning of January until the end of April 2025. The statistics showed that 332 Kuwaiti men got married to non-Kuwaiti women, 133 Kuwaiti women got married to non-Kuwaitis, 44 Kuwaiti men got married to Bedouns and 10 Kuwaiti women got married to Bedouns. In addition, the number of divorces between Kuwaiti husbands and Kuwaiti wives reached 1,419; while the number of divorces between Kuwaiti husbands and non-Kuwaiti wives reached 332, and 141 Kuwaiti women were divorced from non-Kuwaiti men. Moreover, a statistical analysis of the achievements of the Sharia Documentation Department in April 2025 revealed that the number of documented marriages, by nationality, reached 1,149. The rate of marriages where both spouses are Kuwaiti nationals was 75 percent, while the percentage of marriages where both spouses are non-Kuwaiti nationals was 13.4 percent. The rate of marriages where the husband is Kuwaiti and the wife is non-Kuwaiti was 8.4 percent, while the percentage of marriages where the husband is non-Kuwaiti and the wife is Kuwaiti was 3.2 percent of the total marriages. The total number of documented authentication cases by nationality of husband and wife reached 117. The rate of documented authentication cases in which both spouses are Kuwaiti citizens was 4.3 percent, while the percentage of documented authentication cases in which both spouses are non-Kuwaiti citizens was 29.9 percent. The rate of documented authentication cases in which the husband is Kuwaiti and the wife is non-Kuwaiti was 60.7 percent, while the percentage of documented authentication cases in which the husband is non-Kuwaiti and the wife is Kuwaiti was 5.1 percent. The total number of documented divorces by nationality of the husband and wife was 754. The percentage of documented divorces in which both spouses are Kuwaiti citizens was 59.1 percent, while the percentage of divorces in which both spouses is non-Kuwaiti citizens was 18.4 percent. The rate of divorces in which the husband is Kuwaiti and the wife is non-Kuwaiti was 15.9 percent, while the percentage of divorces in which the husband is non-Kuwaiti and the wife is Kuwaiti was 6.5 percent.
