Decree-Law No. 102 of 2026, published in Kuwait Al-Youm issue No. 1811 after midnight on October 4, establishes a single regulatory structure for traditional print, audiovisual, electronic and social media activities that had previously operated under separate legislation. The law takes effect six months after publication, in April 2027, and requires the competent minister to issue detailed executive regulations before that date. Existing operators across all covered sectors must regularize their status within six months of those regulations or face license revocation, according to provisions in the decree. The legislation explicitly brings social media promoters, advertisers and related digital practices under the same oversight applied to newspapers and broadcasters.
State Minister for Communications and Information Technology and Acting Minister of Information and Culture Omar Al-Omar described the decree as a significant step toward modernizing Kuwait’s media legislation. Speaking after its issuance, Al-Omar noted that the framework addresses rapid advances in digital platforms, advertising methods and content creation that earlier laws from 2006, 2007 and 2016 could not anticipate. The new rules seek to balance expressive freedoms with consumer safeguards, particularly for families and children, while establishing proportionate penalties that begin with warnings before escalating to fines or administrative sanctions.
Articles 34 to 37 of the decree set licensing requirements for influencers and advertisers whose commercial, brand promotion or marketing activities target audiences in Kuwait, regardless of whether the individuals are citizens, residents or visitors. The law applies to professional or commercial creation of promotional content, with exact criteria for who must register to be specified in the forthcoming executive regulations. Influencers conducting paid or unpaid advertising, product reviews, giveaways or contests without a license face fines between KD 1,000 and KD 50,000 under Article 55, the decree states.
The legislation mandates clear disclosure of all advertising material directed at the Kuwaiti public, including embedded promotions, sponsored reviews and content produced with artificial intelligence. It criminalizes false or misleading claims as well as unlicensed attempts to influence opinion through covert funding. Courts may impose temporary blocks on websites or social media accounts for up to one year under Article 64, with repeat violations within three years resulting in permanent closure and license cancellation.
A complementary Decree-Law No. 10 of 2026 on digital commerce requires businesses that engage influencers to retain all related contracts and records for at least five years and to route payments through regulated banking channels that comply with anti-money laundering standards. This requirement adds traceability to commercial arrangements that previously operated with limited oversight. The combined measures reflect broader regional updates to digital economy rules that have seen influencer-driven marketing expand rapidly across the Gulf in recent years.
The unified framework also governs news agencies, foreign correspondents, artistic production companies, cinemas and public events while eliminating prior censorship for titles displayed at official book fairs. An electronic licensing platform will streamline applications and oversight for all activities covered by the decree. Kuwait Journalists Association representatives welcomed the law as a constructive update that clarifies responsibilities across the evolving media landscape.
