The Ministry of Trade and Industry announced that subsidized food items will now be available only to Kuwaiti citizens, their families and their domestic workers under the new rules that took effect on July 27, 2026. Ministerial Decree No. 154 of 2026, signed by Minister Osama Boodai, amends Clause 1 of Article 5 from an earlier Ministerial Decree No. 216 of 2014 that had governed the distribution system. The decree repeals all previous provisions allowing subsidized goods for categories outside the updated eligibility list, with the full text scheduled for publication in the Official Gazette. All relevant government entities received instructions to enforce the regulations immediately and to disregard any conflicting earlier measures.
Boodai’s decision targets widespread abuse within the ration card program that has undermined the subsidy system’s intended purpose. The ministry stated that allocations will be suspended for any cardholder found reselling or transferring subsidized goods to ineligible parties. Violators face additional referral to competent authorities for legal action under existing laws that penalize misuse of public resources. The policy forms part of ongoing efforts to ensure that state support reaches only those for whom it was designed.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry has maintained an electronic monitoring system that tracks ration card usage and distribution patterns across approved outlets. Earlier measures by the same ministry focused on securing adequate food supplies and preventing market disruptions, according to records from comparable initiatives in March 2026. These systems allow authorities to identify irregularities in purchase volumes that may indicate resale activity rather than personal consumption. Such monitoring has become central to preserving the integrity of the subsidy framework that supplies essential commodities at controlled prices.
Kuwait’s ration card program dates to the years following the discovery of oil, when the government established mechanisms to distribute basic foodstuffs to the citizen population. The current restrictions align with a pattern of periodic adjustments to eligibility criteria that successive trade ministers have introduced to align supply with actual demand. Domestic workers employed by eligible Kuwaiti households remain covered under the decree, provided their employers hold valid cards. Non-citizen residents who previously accessed certain items through alternative channels no longer qualify under the tightened standards.
Implementation of the decree requires coordination among multiple agencies that handle procurement, distribution and enforcement of consumer protection rules. The Ministry of Trade and Industry emphasized that the changes do not alter the core list of subsidized items, which continues to include staples such as rice, sugar, cooking oil and milk powder for authorized users. Publication in the Official Gazette will formalize the legal standing of the new provisions and trigger their full application across all distribution points. Officials have been directed to update internal procedures to reflect the revised Article 5 without delay.
Previous decrees had gradually narrowed access to prevent leakage of subsidized commodities into commercial channels where they competed with full-price imports. The latest step builds on that foundation by attaching direct consequences to detected violations, including temporary loss of card privileges. Data from the ministry’s monitoring efforts have historically shown that resale cases tend to cluster around specific outlets and cardholders, enabling more focused enforcement actions. The decree ensures uniformity in how departments across the government apply the updated eligibility and penalty provisions.
