Video of Luxury Cars Being Loaded onto an Aircraft Is Unrelated to the Kuwaiti Royal Family Leaving the Country; Footage Dates Back to 2017
The claim is false. The footage is old, having first circulated in 2017. It actually shows Kuwait Airways transporting luxury vehicles from Kuwait to London and is not related to any evacuation of the Kuwaiti royal family. Thai PBS Verify also found no evidence from credible news organisations or official sources confirming the claim that members of Kuwait’s royal family have left the country.
Thai PBS Verify identified the source of the false claim: X.
An X post sharing a video of luxury cars being loaded onto an aircraft, claiming that Kuwait’s royal family had left the country out of fear of an Iranian invasion.
Thai PBS Verify found an X account that shared a video showing luxury cars being loaded onto an aircraft, accompanied by the following claim:
“A viral video… News reports about the transfer of Kuwait’s ruling family outside the country for fear of an Iranian invasion to occupy Kuwait”
Translated to Thai by Google Translate as:
“วิดีโอที่กำลังเป็นกระแสไวรัล… พร้อมคำกล่าวอ้างว่ามีรายงานข่าวเกี่ยวกับการย้ายสมาชิกของราชวงศ์ผู้ปกครองคูเวตออกนอกประเทศ เนื่องจากเกรงว่าอิหร่านจะบุกยึดครองคูเวต “
The post received more than 194,000 views, over 2,200 reactions, 77 comments, and was shared more than 638 times. It was published on 23 July 2026.
Does the Video Really Show Kuwait’s Royal Family Evacuating Their Assets?
Thai PBS Verify examined the video using Google Lens to determine whether it genuinely showed members of Kuwait’s royal family leaving the country. The search matched the footage to an earlier video posted on X, which stated that:
“Video / Transporting a luxurious Kuwaiti car aboard a Kuwait Airways flight heading to London.”
Translated to Thai by Google Translate as:
“วิดีโอ / การขนส่งรถยนต์หรูของคูเวตขึ้นเครื่องบินของสายการบิน Kuwait Airways ซึ่งกำลังมุ่งหน้าไปยังกรุงลอนดอน” ถูกเผยแพร่เมื่อวันที่ 31 ก.ค. 60
Comparison between the video in the viral post (left) and the matching footage identified through a Google Lens search (right).
Reviewing the Account’s Authenticity
Thai PBS Verify also conducted further checks on the X account that shared the claim. The investigation found that the account was created in June 2024 and is based in Yemen, with no apparent connection to Kuwait.
What Is the Current Situation in Kuwait?
1. Security Situation and Regional Attacks
- Drone and missile attacks: Kuwait remains on high alert following a new wave of drone and missile attacks in the region. The country’s air defence system has been operating continuously throughout mid- and late July to intercept aerial threats.
- Impact on infrastructure: Debris from intercepted projectiles and related attacks has affected water desalination plants and parts of the power grid in some areas, prompting the government to urge the public to conserve electricity.
2. Foreign Relations and Border Security
- Reopening of the Kuwait–Iraq border crossing: The main land border crossing between Kuwait and Iraq has reopened, helping restore cross-border travel and the movement of goods.
- Resumption of flights to Syria: Kuwait Airways has resumed direct commercial flights to Damascus, Syria, for the first time in 14 years, as part of efforts to restore travel links and bilateral relations.
What Are the Facts?
Thai PBS Verify examined the video circulated on X alongside the claim that “Kuwait’s ruling royal family is leaving the country out of fear that Iran will invade and seize Kuwait.” The investigation found that the claim is misleading.
Using Google Lens, Thai PBS Verify confirmed that the footage is an old video first published in 2017. It does not show members of Kuwait’s royal family evacuating the country. Instead, it shows Kuwait Airways transporting luxury vehicles from Kuwait to London. Thai PBS Verify also found no evidence from credible news organisations or official sources to support the claim that Kuwait’s royal family has left the country because of tensions with Iran.
Although Kuwait is currently on heightened security alert due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, with reports of drone and missile attacks and their impact on parts of the country’s infrastructure, there is no evidence that the Kuwaiti royal family is evacuating the country. The viral post therefore misrepresents old footage by linking it to current events, creating the false impression that it depicts an ongoing evacuation.
Why Did This Claim Spread?
The claim originated from an old video being taken out of context and linked to the current tensions in the Middle East. The person who shared it republished footage from 2017 showing luxury vehicles being loaded onto a Kuwait Airways aircraft, falsely claiming that it depicted Kuwait’s royal family leaving the country to escape a potential Iranian invasion. By changing the context of the original footage, the post created the misleading impression that it showed a current event.
The claim gained significant attention because it was shared at a time of heightened regional instability in the Middle East. Kuwait’s proximity to tensions involving Iran and its regional and Western allies has raised public concerns about security, including missile and drone attacks and their potential impact on critical infrastructure. As a result, claims suggesting that the Kuwaiti royal family was evacuating the country were more likely to attract attention and be widely shared, despite the lack of supporting evidence.
In addition, this is a typical example of misleading information, where genuine elements are combined with unsupported claims. The post uses imagery associated with wealth and political power—such as luxury cars, aircraft, and international travel—to make the story appear more credible. In reality, however, the original footage simply shows Kuwait Airways transporting luxury vehicles to London and has no connection to the Kuwaiti royal family or any wartime evacuation.
The key reason this claim spread is that old footage was repurposed and presented in a new context, exploiting public anxiety over the ongoing regional conflict. By linking unrelated archival footage to current events, the post created a false narrative that was more likely to attract attention and spread widely across social media.
Verification Process
- Verified the footage using Google Lens: Thai PBS Verify confirmed that the video does not show Kuwait’s royal family leaving the country. Instead, it is archival footage from 2017 showing luxury vehicles being loaded onto a Kuwait Airways aircraft for transport to London.
- Reviewed the account’s authenticity: Thai PBS Verify also examined the X account that shared the claim and found that it was created in June 2024 and is based in Yemen.
Impact of the False Claim
- Heightens public anxiety over security in the Middle East: Claims that Kuwait’s royal family is evacuating the country may lead people to believe that tensions between Kuwait and Iran have escalated to the point where the country’s leaders are fleeing, increasing public concern about regional instability.
- Misrepresents the actual situation in Kuwait: Reusing old footage and presenting it as a current event may mislead audiences into believing that Kuwait is facing a far more serious crisis than it actually is, obscuring the facts about the country’s current security situation.
- Undermines trust in information shared on social media: Using authentic footage with a false or misleading caption makes it more difficult for users to distinguish between factual reporting and misinformation, increasing the likelihood that unverified content will be shared further.
- May damage Kuwait’s image and public confidence: False claims that members of the royal family or national leaders are fleeing the country could create misleading impressions among investors, travellers, and the international community about Kuwait’s stability.
- Fuels rumours and heightens tensions during times of crisis: During periods of regional conflict, misleading claims about leaders evacuating or governments collapsing can amplify fear and encourage the spread of unsupported narratives and speculation.
What to do with this misinformation?
- Do not immediately believe or share the claim, especially if it relates to international conflicts, war, or prominent public figures. Such content is often used to provoke fear and spread misinformation.
- Always verify the source of images or videos. Use reverse image search tools or check the original publication date to determine whether the footage is current or an old image being presented out of context.
- Cross-check the information with multiple credible sources. For major national or international news, verify the claim through established news organisations or relevant official authorities before accepting or sharing it.
- Pay attention to the language used in the post. Be cautious of emotionally charged or sensational wording such as “breaking,” “happening now,” or “the government is hiding this,” particularly when no clear source is provided.
- If you determine that the claim is false, avoid sharing it further and help inform others by directing them to accurate information. You should also follow updates from reputable fact-checking organisations, such as Thai PBS Verify, which investigates false claims, misleading content, and images or videos that have been taken out of context.
