The revocation of Kuwaiti citizenship from two of the Gulf's most influential musicians has sent shockwaves through Kuwait's cultural community , making singer Abdulmohsen Al Muhanna and composer Yousef Al Muhanna the latest high-profile figures to be stripped of their nationality amid an ongoing government campaign.
Kuwait's official gazette on Sunday published decrees revoking the citizenship of 2,193 people, as well as individuals who had acquired nationality through them. Among those named were the Muhanna brothers, whose careers helped shape modern Kuwaiti and Gulf music over more than six decades.
Abdulmohsen Al Muhanna, one of Kuwait's most celebrated singers, is regarded as a defining voice in the country's musical history.
Born in Kuwait in 1938, he launched his career in 1963 after gaining recognition through Kuwait Radio. His folk and romantic songs quickly made him one of the leading artists of his generation and a household name across the Gulf.
Among his best-known songs are Ya Munyati, Khalli Jafani, Shakwai, Awafi, Tayr Al Mawadda and Reeh Al Hawa Musafir, alongside dozens of patriotic, sporting and religious works.
Beyond his music, Al Muhanna served on the Kuwaiti Artists Association and the Ministry of Information's Heritage Preservation Committee, and was widely known for mentoring younger artists.
His younger brother, Yousef Al Muhanna, is considered one of the most influential composers in Kuwaiti and Gulf music.
Born in 1940, he developed a passion for the oud from an early age and began his professional career in the 1960s. Over the following decades, he composed around 300 works spanning romantic, patriotic, religious and sporting songs, leaving a lasting mark on the region's musical landscape.
The revocations come as Kuwait continues a sweeping citizenship review campaign launched in 2024, which authorities say is aimed at addressing alleged irregularities and fraud in nationality records dating back decades.
The campaign has resulted in the withdrawal of citizenship from tens of thousands of people and has affected a range of public figures, including artists, footballers, politicians and diplomats.
Officials have described the process as an effort to "cleanse" the nationality file, arguing that it is intended to correct historical errors linked to the implementation of Kuwait's nationality law.
The latest decrees highlight how the campaign continues to reach prominent figures whose contributions have played a significant role in shaping Kuwait's cultural and public life.