The Ministry of Commerce and Industry published Ministerial Decision No. 109 of 2026 in the Kuwait Al-Youm official gazette on July 12, extending regulatory oversight to all intermediary electronic platforms that display products, process orders and arrange deliveries to consumers. Service providers must obtain the necessary licenses and adhere to applicable laws on consumer protection and fair competition practices. All prices, commissions, delivery charges and any additional fees have to be clearly disclosed to users before a transaction can be completed, according to a ministry statement to KUNA.
Platforms already licensed for these activities are required to amend their commercial registration to the category of Management of Delivery Services via Electronic Platforms under international classification code 532013 by Sept. 1, 2026. New contracts must comply with the regulations immediately while pre-existing agreements have until the September deadline to align, provided their commission rates remain at or below the maximum permitted under Article 7 of the decision. The measure repeals an earlier ministerial decision that had applied only to restaurant and ready-made food deliveries.
Total fees charged by platforms cannot exceed 17 percent of the order value while the delivery fee is capped at one Kuwaiti dinar per order, the ministry’s regulations state. When a restaurant or retailer arranges its own delivery, the platform may charge a maximum of 10 percent commission but cannot retain any portion of the delivery fee. These limits, which also prohibit forced exclusivity clauses and discriminatory practices, incorporate guidelines from the Competition Protection Authority’s Decision No. 1 of 2026.
A P&S Market Research assessment places the value of Kuwait’s e-commerce market at $2.15 billion in 2024 with forecasts for growth to $5.46 billion by 2032 at a compound annual rate of 12.5 percent. The new rules arrive as the sector expands rapidly beyond food delivery into groceries, pharmaceuticals and other consumer goods, increasing the need for standardized oversight across digital marketplaces. The ministry has indicated that annual tariff schedules outlining all fees must be submitted for approval to maintain transparency.
Violators of the regulations face administrative penalties that can include warnings, fines or temporary suspension of operations, according to the attached schedule in the ministerial decision. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry holds authority to conduct monitoring, request documents and carry out on-site inspections of platform activities. All licensed operators are expected to maintain full compliance with both the new fee structure and broader competition rules to avoid enforcement actions.
