New bill could allow Kuwaiti women to pass nationality on to their children

Five members of the Kuwaiti National Assembly have proposed a law that would allow Kuwaiti women to pass their nationality on to their children when married to non-Kuwaitis.

The bill states that any individual who has reached the age of 21 from a Kuwaiti mother and her non-Kuwaiti husband - whether the husband is a foreign national or has "undetermined" status - will be allowed to obtain local citizenship.

The conditions are that the father is settled in Kuwait, and provided that the mother has not obtained the Kuwaiti nationality through "subordination" to her husband. The bill assures that children are treated as Kuwaiti citizens until they reach the age of 21, where they will be given the choice to keep the Kuwaiti nationality or their father’s.

Like many Gulf states, Kuwait does not recognise dual nationality.

Feminist activists welcomed the proposal, while activist Sheikha Al-Ali described it as major progress for women’s rights. "But the road is still long due to political problems in the country," she said.

Current laws prevent Kuwaiti women from passing their nationality on to their children. This has resulted in children being forced to leave the country when they reach 21, unless they are able to find a sponsor to remain in Kuwait.