Latest news with #non-Kuwaiti
Arab Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab Times
207 Called Themselves 'Ana Kuwaiti' ...But DNA Revealed the Truth
KUWAIT CITY, July 25: In what is now being called one of the largest and most methodically dismantled cases of citizenship fraud in Kuwait's history, the nationality of 207 individuals has been officially revoked after an intense year-long investigation uncovered a sprawling network of identity forgery, primarily involving individuals of Syrian origin. The elaborate scheme, which authorities say spanned years and infiltrated official family registries, was cracked open thanks to an anonymous tip-off in July 2024 that triggered a domino effect of interrogations, DNA testing, and international cooperation. The Tip That Sparked the Storm It all began quietly last summer, when Kuwaiti security authorities received intelligence about a man named Qassem, a naturalized Kuwaiti suspected of fraudulently acquiring citizenship. According to the tip, Qassem was not Kuwaiti at all—but in fact, a Syrian national. Preliminary inquiries quickly confirmed that Qassem had a sister living in Kuwait, married to another Syrian man working in the contracting sector. When Qassem's name was flagged, investigators discovered he had already fled the country, raising suspicions further. His sister was promptly summoned for questioning. Under pressure, she admitted Qassem was her brother and confirmed his Kuwaiti citizenship status. She insisted, however, that their relationship had long since deteriorated and that she had no knowledge of his current whereabouts. DNA Uncovers Hidden Kinship Undeterred by Qassem's disappearance, investigators turned their attention to his children, one of whom is reportedly serving as a Kuwaiti officer. DNA samples were collected and compared to Qassem's sister and her husband. The results were indisputable: the children were biologically related to the Syrian couple, further validating Qassem's non-Kuwaiti origins. The Shocking Scale of the Fraud Digging deeper, authorities turned their focus to Qassem's official family file. It listed 22 names, allegedly all siblings. Of these, 16 individuals were genuine Kuwaiti citizens who confirmed their identities and tribal affiliation. But six names (including Qassem) were complete fabrications, added illegally to the file without the real family's knowledge. Investigators now realized they were dealing with a calculated and large-scale operation of identity infiltration. Tracing the Forged Network The true identities of the other five fake siblings remained unknown, as none of the legitimate family members could identify them. To unmask these individuals, a tripartite task force was formed between the Nationality Investigation Department, the Syrian authorities, and the Central Agency for Illegal Residents (Bedoon). It emerged that all five individuals, like Qassem, had either stateless or Syrian relatives residing in Kuwait. And all had vanished abroad following the initial investigation—presumably to avoid capture. Unmasking the Imposters By May 2025, two of the five remaining forgers had been positively identified through cross-border cooperation. Their citizenships (along with Qassem's and those of their direct relatives) were immediately revoked. To identify the final three, authorities undertook a series of DNA tests on their children residing in Kuwait. These samples were then matched with paternal and maternal relatives, particularly among Syrian and stateless families, leading to the same conclusive result: the individuals were biologically linked to Syrian families, not Kuwaiti ones. The Final Sweep: Citizenship Revoked from 207 People With solid genetic and documentary proof, the Supreme Nationality Investigation Committee acted swiftly, conducting a full 'disassembly' of all the forged files. Citizenship was stripped from 104 individuals in a final batch, while 103 others had their status revoked earlier as evidence was confirmed. Breakdown of the revocations: Zero Tolerance for Identity Fraud The Kuwaiti government has made it clear that any forgery uncovered (backdated) will be pursued with full legal force. Officials noted that comprehensive dismantling of fraudulent family links, marriages, and dependencies will continue as necessary. Authorities emphasized that citizenship is a matter of national security and identity, and anyone proven to have obtained it through deception will be held accountable—regardless of their current role, residency, or status. This case serves as a stark reminder of Kuwait's commitment to preserving the sanctity of its national records and taking decisive action against fraudsters who manipulate lineage and legal status for personal or economic gain.
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab Times
Teaching staff scheduled to begin duties for new school year on Aug 24
KUWAIT CITY, July 23: The Ministry of Education has officially announced that all newly appointed Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti teachers are to begin their duties for the upcoming academic year on Sunday, August 24, 2025. The directive was issued by Acting Assistant Undersecretary for General Education, Mansour Al-Dhafiri, in a formal letter addressed to the Undersecretary of the Administrative Sector. In the letter, Al-Dhafiri referenced prior correspondence from the Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative Affairs and Administrative Development — specifically, Letter No. 972701 dated July 3, 2025, and Letter No. 944042 dated June 29, 2025 — both of which discussed the schedule for reporting to duty for the 2025/2026 academic year. Al-Dhafiri confirmed that the start date applies to both Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti teachers and emphasized that this timeline is consistent with preparations for the first semester. The decision ensures that all educational staff are present ahead of the school year's official opening, allowing sufficient time for administrative procedures, orientation, and classroom readiness. The Ministry continues to coordinate across relevant departments to ensure a smooth and timely start to the new academic term.
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait population tops 5m
Citizens drop, Asians dominate, domestic helpers rise, workforce up By B Izzak KUWAIT: Kuwait's population has surpassed the 5-million mark, recording 5,098,539 people as of June 30, 2025. Kuwaiti citizens dropped one percentage point, making up 30.4 percent of the population, the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) said on Tuesday. Kuwaitis numbered 1,550,547 on June 30 compared to 1.57 million at the end of 2024, PACI said in a population report. Kuwaitis made up 31.4 percent of the total population at the end of last year. For the first time, the Kuwaiti male population overtook their female counterparts. On June 30, Kuwaiti men numbered 776,656 against 773,891 Kuwaiti women. In previous statistics, Kuwaiti women formed 51 percent of the population against 49 percent of men. Kuwait's total population on June 30 grew by 2.16 percent from the end of last year and as high as 3.5 percent a year ago, despite the drop in the Kuwaiti population. The non-Kuwaiti population rose to a record 3,547,992 residents, or 69.6 percent of the country's population, growing by a strong 3.8 percent from the end of last year and adding 130,000 new entrants. Asians continue to dominate with 2.073 million or 40.7 percent of the total population, making up 58.4 percent of total expats. Asians rose by 3.65 percent from the end of 2024. Arabs come in third place with 1.37 million residents, around 26 percent of the total population. Africans, Americans, Europeans and others make up the rest. Indians remain the top expat community with over one million residents, followed by Egyptians at 660,000. Domestic helpers, a majority of them Asian, grew to 823,000 on June 30 from 781,000 at the end of 2024, an increase of 5.4 percent, according to the PACI report. On June 30, total workforce in Kuwait reached 3.1 million, slightly up from 3.065 million at the end of 2024. However, the strength of the Kuwaiti workforce dropped from 505,000 six months ago to 491,000 on June 30. A majority of the Kuwaiti workforce of 393,000 or 80 percent are government employees. Over 67,000 are in private sector jobs and 30,600 are unemployed, the report said. The expat workforce reached 2.65 million on June 30, up from 2.56 million at the end of 2024. Only 127,000 expats are employed in the government sector while about 1.696 million work in the private sector. The remaining 823,000 are domestic helpers.
Arab Times
2 days ago
- General
- Arab Times
Kuwait Now Home to Over 5 Million People
KUWAIT CITY, July 22: The Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) has announced that Kuwait's total population has reached 5,098,539, according to the latest statistics available on its official services website as of June 30. In a statement published Tuesday on its official account on the (X) platform, PACI reported that the number of Kuwaiti citizens stands at 1,550,547, while the number of non-Kuwaiti residents has reached 3,547,992.
Arab Times
2 days ago
- General
- Arab Times
Total population of Kuwait hits 5,098,539 with 1,550,547 citizens
KUWAIT CITY, July 22: The Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) has announced that Kuwait's total population has reached 5,098,539, according to the latest statistics available on its official services website as of June 30. In a statement published Tuesday on its official account on the (X) platform, PACI reported that the number of Kuwaiti citizens stands at 1,550,547, while the number of non-Kuwaiti residents has reached 3,547,992.
