Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah

Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah (born 1959) is a former Kuwaiti military officer. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior from January 17, 2024, and as Minister of Defense from January 17, 2024, until February 4, 2025.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al-Sabah
فهد يوسف سعود الصباح
Official portrait, 2024
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 January 2024
Monarch	Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
Prime Minister	Mohammad Al-Sabah Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah
Preceded by	Talal Al-Khaled
Minister of Defense
In office 17 January 2024 – 4 February 2025
Preceded by	Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah
Succeeded by	Abdullah Ali Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah
Personal details
Born	(1959-05-01) 1 May 1959 (age 66)
Citizenship	Kuwait

Biography

Sheikh Fahd Yousuf Saud Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah was born on May 1, 1959. After graduating from the Military College in Kuwait, he worked as an officer in the Kuwaiti Army's Amiri Guard, eventually retiring with the rank of Colonel. Notably, he was involved in the evacuation and protection of the then Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and the Crown Prince, Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, to Saudi Arabia in 1990 following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.^[1]

On January 17, 2024, an Amiri decree was issued for the formation of the government, appointing him as the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, and the Minister of Interior.^[1][6]

Controversy

Citizenship Revocation Campaign (2024–present)

In late 2024, Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah initiated a sudden controversial policy to revoke the citizenship of approximately 42,000 Kuwaiti nationals, resulting in widespread statelessness within a six-month period. Al-Sabah publicly described the revocations as targeting fraudulent citizenship cases; however, critics highlighted that more than two-thirds of those affected were women who had legally acquired nationality under Article 8 of Kuwait’s nationality law, through marriage to Kuwaiti citizens. Many of these women had held citizenship for decades before abruptly losing their status without prior notice, causing significant public anxiety and social disruption.^[7][8]

Kuwait faced extensive domestic and international criticism, with human rights advocates and opposition figures asserting that his actions were discriminatory and politically motivated. Following widespread backlash, Al-Sabah partially reversed some of the policy’s most severe effects, reinstating affected individuals’ access to banking services, pensions, and essential government services. Despite these measures, criticism persisted over the long-term implications for Kuwait’s democratic reputation and social cohesion.^[7][9][8]