Kuwait revokes citizenship of influential Islamic preacher Tariq al-Suwaidan

Kuwait has issued a decree revoking the citizenship of of Tariq al-Suwaidan, one of the region's most influential Islamic preachers, local media reported on Sunday.

The decree was reportedly issued from Seif Palace and signed by the Emir Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

It stated that "based on the recommendation of the first deputy prime minister and minister of interior, and with the approval of the Cabinet, we hereby decree the following – Kuwaiti citizenship is revoked from Tariq Mohammed al-Saleh al-Suwaidan and from anyone who acquired citizenship through dependency".

The decree did not specify why his citizenship was being revoked.

Kuwait has in the past denaturalised people who acquired citizenship through fraud, committed certain crimes, or if the state has evidence that the individual was working to undermine the regime.

The revocation of al-Suwaidan's citizenship has raised concerns over freedom of expression in the country.

In 2013, he was dismissed from al-Resalah TV after publicly affiliating himself to the Muslim Brotherhood.

In recent years, Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of scores of people if they are found to have dual nationality.  

Al-Suwaidan, also an author and businessman, is one of the region’s most prominent Islamic speakers, and has significant influence in the media and religious education.

He has written dozens of books, many translated into English and French, and was listed among the 500 most influential Muslims in the world in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

He also serves as the CEO of the Gulf Innovation Group and is a TV host for programmes on Islamic history and personal development.

Al-Suwaidan moved to the US at 17 and later earned a PhD in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa.

Last month, Kuwait withdrew the citizenship of former MP Mohammed Hussein Al-Muhan and several of his relatives, according to an announcement published in Kuwait Al-Youm, the country's official gazette.

Authorities cited Article 21 of the Kuwaiti nationality law, which allows revocation if citizenship was granted "on the basis of fraud, false statements, or incorrect documents".

The government in Kuwait has led a campaign to "clean up" the nationality register, which has led to a wave of denaturalisations since early 2024.