Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah issued Ministerial Decree No. 895/2026 amending provisions of Ministerial Decree No. 81/1976 on the executive regulations of the Traffic Law. The decree, published in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm, amends Article 212-bis to create a regulatory framework for courts to apply alternative penalties in place of imprisonment for traffic violations. These alternatives encompass community service, involvement in awareness rehabilitation and training programs and lectures along with compensation for damages caused by the offense, with the General Directorate for the Execution of Judicial Rulings tasked with oversight.
According to the decree the Ministry of Interior will assign suitable convicts to traffic awareness campaigns work in the General Traffic Department and activities at correctional rehabilitation institutions or civil defense. The Ministry of Health will involve them in organizing appointments and health awareness campaigns while the Ministry of Education will assign library organization student awareness campaigns and cleaning duties. The decree details comparable roles for the ministries of Social Affairs Islamic Affairs Electricity Water and Renewable Energy Public Works Commerce and Industry the Environment Public Authority Kuwait Municipality and several public authorities.
The decree further assigns vocational training and craft workshops to the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training awareness programs for expatriates and translation to the Public Authority for Manpower and park cleaning with tree planting to the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources. It also includes charitable work humanitarian aid awareness campaigns and tasks at fuel stations run by the Ministry of Oil along with rehabilitation through educational lectures training workshops and psychological behavioral programs to modify irresponsible driving. The General Department for the Execution of Judicial Rulings will organize these in coordination with the General Traffic Department government entities private sector and public benefit associations.
Kuwait’s Interior Ministry figures show that traffic offenses dropped sharply after the new traffic law took effect with speeding violations falling 65 percent and red light running declining 63 percent. A 2025 report in The Arab Weekly noted that such measures formed part of a wider programme of reforms aimed at modernising and humanising justice by replacing jail terms for traffic offences with 43 alternative penalties. The value of damages is assessed jointly by the General Traffic Department and the owning government entity with restitution coordinated directly with the affected party.
The decree requires all implementing entities to submit compliance reports to the General Directorate for the Execution of Judicial Rulings detailing the convict’s adherence to the assigned tasks. Any refusal to comply or violation of conditions will result in the case being referred back to the competent court to serve the original prison term. Coordination with the affected party is also mandated for restoration repair or financial compensation related to damages from the violation.
