The Ministry of Commerce and Industry directed immediate closure of the two Salmiya health institutes after an emergency inspection team from the Ahmadi and Mubarak Al Kabeer governorates collaborated with the Ministry of Interior’s Criminal Investigation Department to examine the premises in Mubarak Al Kabeer. Inspectors determined that the facilities had accepted cash payments in violation of Ministerial Resolution No. 32 of 2026, which caps cash transactions at KD 10 for such businesses, while additional licensing shortcomings were also identified. The ministry reported that legal measures have been taken against the operators in accordance with commercial regulations, with the sites remaining shuttered until full compliance is verified.
Ministerial Resolution No. 32 of 2026, issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in April 2026, applies to health institutes as well as men’s, women’s and children’s salons, sports clubs, pest control companies and businesses handling public health pesticides. The ministry has stated that the measure aims to reduce cash handling in these sectors as part of broader financial oversight efforts. A subsequent ministerial decision extended similar restrictions to private healthcare facilities, reinforcing the push toward electronic payments across related industries.
In a separate enforcement action detailed in the same update, Capital Governorate inspection teams seized 322 counterfeit items including clothing, accessories and shoes from a single retail outlet. The ministry said the store was closed on the spot and a case of commercial fraud was formally recorded against those responsible. Legal proceedings against the violators are proceeding under applicable trade and consumer protection statutes.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has intensified inspection campaigns across Kuwait governorates since the resolution entered into force, targeting both payment infractions and counterfeit merchandise. Such operations frequently involve coordination between commerce officials, governorate teams and interior ministry units to address multiple violation types in single drives. Authorities have referred dozens of similar cases for prosecution in recent months, according to patterns outlined in earlier ministry briefings.
Operators of the affected Salmiya institutes must now address the cash-handling breaches and licensing deficiencies before they can resume activities, the ministry indicated. The resolution explicitly prohibits cash transactions above the KD 10 threshold when collecting fees for services in the covered sectors. Non-compliant establishments face closure coupled with potential criminal referral, as stipulated in the decision.
Inter-agency collaboration featured prominently in the Salmiya inspections, where the Criminal Investigation Department assisted in documenting any elements that could warrant further security scrutiny. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has described this joint approach as standard procedure in its expanded enforcement activities throughout the country. Similar coordinated efforts have been applied in other governorates to maintain consistency in addressing commercial violations.
