The Public Authority for Manpower announced on May 20 that it has issued Ministerial Resolution No. 3 of 2026 banning outdoor work between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. from June 1 to Aug. 31 each year to shield employees from extreme heat. Director General Rabab Al-Osaimi stated that the authority holds powers to adjust the timing or duration of the restriction according to climatic and environmental changes while the measure may also activate during dust storms, heavy rain, high humidity, natural disasters, epidemics or emergencies. Employers must provide cold drinking water, shaded rest areas, first aid supplies and suitable breaks without breaching legal working hours, Al-Osaimi added in the Arab Times report on the resolution.
The resolution, issued by Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef as chairman of the Public Authority for Manpower, grants flexibility to modify the ban in response to evolving conditions that could endanger workers. Al-Osaimi explained that exemptions cover urgent technical operations such as emergency maintenance, public services and vital facility activities provided prior approval comes from the Labor Inspection Department and all safety requirements are satisfied. The director general stressed that authorities will pursue legal action against any violators of the new rules.
A 2023 study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine examined occupational injuries in Kuwait and found that daily averages reached 7.2 in June, 7.6 in July and 9.4 in August during the 2015-2019 summer periods despite existing bans. The research attributed a relative risk increase of 1.44 for injuries at the average summer temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius compared with the 10th percentile of 37 degrees Celsius, with 96 percent of cases involving non-Kuwaiti migrant workers. Human Rights Watch referenced the same study in a 2025 assessment of Gulf heat protections noting that the updated Kuwaiti ban starts earlier in the season and extends later into the afternoon than previous versions.
The Public Authority for Manpower inspected 2,381 sites from June 1 to Aug. 19 in 2021 and identified 1,760 workers breaching the applicable outdoor labor prohibition at that time, Kuwait Times reported. Similar oversight campaigns are expected this year with the authority urging the public to report violations through official channels to aid enforcement. Al-Osaimi noted that the resolution applies uniformly while allowing case-by-case approvals for exempted activities that meet strict criteria.
Public Authority for Civil Information figures place Kuwait’s expatriate population at roughly 3.3 million, representing more than two-thirds of residents and forming the core of the outdoor workforce in construction and related sectors. The 2023 occupational study indicated that falls from height accounted for 18.3 percent of injuries, followed by same-level falls and falling objects as leading causes during the monitored summers. A heat stress management overview from Smart QHSE referenced earlier ministerial orders that imposed fines of up to 1,000 Kuwaiti dinars per violating worker per day under prior rules.
Al-Osaimi urged business owners to fully comply with the new regulations to ensure worker safety and support a sustainable and humane work environment in Kuwait, according to the May 20 announcement. The director general highlighted that the measure builds on longstanding occupational health frameworks first introduced in 2007 and revised periodically to address rising temperatures. Authorities will monitor weather patterns closely and may broaden the ban’s application if conditions warrant additional protections.
