Ride-Hailing Rules in Kuwait: Ministerial Decision 893/2026 on Transport Apps, Explained
Quick answer: The new ride-hailing rules in Kuwait — Ministerial Decision No. 893/2026, issued by the Ministry of Interior on 1 July 2026 and published in the Official Gazette on 5 July 2026 — regulate Uber-and-Careem-style transport apps. Key requirements: companies need a Ministry of Commerce licence plus General Traffic Department approval, a physical office, an electronic trip register accessible to traffic officials, and in-vehicle cameras retaining footage for at least 120 days. Drivers on passenger-transport apps must be Kuwaiti citizens, aged 21+, with a clean record, driving a vehicle they own that is no more than 3 years old at entry (retired at 7 years). Existing operators have 3 months to comply. The Decision repeals Decision 724/2020.
- What is Ministerial Decision 893/2026?
- Conditions for app companies (Article 1)
- Transport intermediation platforms (Article 2)
- Driver requirements — Kuwaitis only (Article 3)
- Enforcement, app blocking & permit withdrawal
- The 3-month compliance deadline
- Related: new car-rental rules (Decision 894/2026)
- Frequently asked questions
What is Ministerial Decision 893/2026?
Issued by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior under the Traffic Law (Decree-Law No. 67 of 1976) and the Police Force Law (Law No. 23 of 1968), Decision 893/2026 is Kuwait's updated framework for commercial transport activities operated through electronic applications — the legal category that covers ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Careem, delivery-linked passenger transport, and pure booking intermediaries. It replaces the 2020 framework (Decision 724/2020) entirely and took effect upon publication in the Official Gazette.
The new ride-hailing rules in Kuwait separate the market into three regulated roles: (1) companies performing traffic-related commercial activities through their own apps, (2) platforms acting only as transport intermediaries, and (3) the individual Kuwaiti drivers who work with passenger-transport apps.
Conditions for app companies (Article 1)
A company or establishment operating a traffic-related commercial activity through its own electronic application must satisfy all of the following:
| # | Requirement | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Officially authorised to practise the commercial activity under the Traffic Law, its Executive Regulation and ministerial decisions | The underlying transport activity must already be licensed — an app cannot launder an unlicensed activity |
| 2 | Licence from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry | Standard commercial licence for the activity |
| 3 | Approval of the General Traffic Department (GTD) | A separate, traffic-specific approval layer |
| 4 | A physical office meeting GTD conditions as the app's headquarters | No fully offshore/virtual operation |
| 5 | A dedicated electronic register: vehicle movements, trip data, carrier, goods, vehicle, driver, pickup/delivery date and time — with a username issued to the competent traffic officer, and GTD rights to inspect and copy the data | Regulator gets standing, direct access to operational data |
| 6 | The app may be used only for the activity the company is licensed to practise | Scope lock: no side-lines through the same app |
| 7 | In-vehicle camera in passenger-transport vehicles, with recording retention of no less than 120 days | A significant new surveillance/safety obligation with data-protection implications |
| 8 | Passenger data must be handed over to the competent authorities on request | Mandatory disclosure duty |
Transport intermediation platforms (Article 2)
Platforms whose only role is transport intermediation (وساطة النقل) — matching riders with licensed carriers rather than operating transport themselves — must comply with all Article 1 conditions except item 1, must restrict themselves strictly to intermediation, and may deal only with companies that are officially licensed for traffic-related activities under the governing ministerial decisions. This is the compliance lane most closely matching the classic marketplace model of global ride-hailing platforms.
Driver requirements: Kuwaiti citizens only (Article 3)
The most consequential feature of the new ride-hailing rules in Kuwait is Article 3: work with passenger-transport apps is reserved for Kuwaiti citizens, subject to seven cumulative conditions:
- Good reputation and clean record: no felony or honour/trust-crime conviction (unless rehabilitated), no serious traffic accidents, and no record of driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or psychotropic substances — evidenced by a criminal-status certificate from the General Department of Criminal Evidence.
- Minimum age of 21 Gregorian years.
- Vehicle condition: air-conditioned, clean inside and out, and meeting all safety and roadworthiness requirements in the Traffic Law's Executive Regulation.
- Vehicle age: no more than 3 years from the date of manufacture at entry; the vehicle must be withdrawn from service when it reaches 7 years. The vehicle must be owned by the driver personally.
- Capacity: designed to carry between 3 and 7 passengers behind the driver.
- An appropriate driving licence for the activity.
- An annual permit from the General Traffic Department, renewed every year.
Enforcement: app blocking and permit withdrawal (Article 4)
The GTD supervises all regulated apps. If a company violates the Traffic Law, its Executive Regulation or the governing decisions and fails to remedy the breach within one month of being warned, the GTD Director-General may ask the competent authority to cancel or block the application. In all cases, the Director-General may withdraw a Kuwaiti driver's permit for violations of the Traffic Law or of this Decision. Article 5 extends the Decision to transport intermediation via apps and to any GTD-regulated activity operating an electronic application.
The 3-month compliance deadline (Article 6)
Companies and establishments already operating traffic-related commercial activities through electronic applications must bring their operations into conformity within three months of the Decision taking effect. Because the Decision entered into force on publication (5 July 2026), the practical compliance horizon runs to early October 2026. Operators should immediately audit their licensing chain (Commerce licence → GTD approval → office → register → cameras) and their driver rosters against Article 3.
Related: new car-rental rules in the same gazette (Decision 894/2026)
The same gazette issue also carries Ministerial Decision 894/2026, amending the car- and motorcycle-rental framework (Decision 723/2020). Rental companies must now conclude a written contract with the renter in both Arabic and English, keep GTD-approved paper or electronic registers of renter data (name, nationality, address, phone, licence number and dates, rental period), identify the legal representative and driver where the renter is a corporate entity, and — where a car is rented with a driver — fit an internal camera per the competent authorities' procedures and hand over data on request.
Operating or investing in a transport app in Kuwait?
Al-Dostour Law Firm advises platforms, fleet operators and drivers on licensing, GTD approvals, data-handover obligations and the 3-month regularisation window under Decision 893/2026 — in Arabic and English.
Call +965 2220 4084WhatsApp us
Kuwait Ride-Hailing Rules 2026 — FAQ
Can expats drive for Uber or Careem in Kuwait under the new rules?
No. Article 3 of Decision 893/2026 reserves driver work with passenger-transport apps for Kuwaiti citizens, subject to age, record, vehicle and permit conditions.
How old can the car be?
No more than 3 years from the date of manufacture when it enters service, and it must be retired when it reaches 7 years. It must also be owned by the driver personally.
Are in-car cameras mandatory?
Yes, in passenger-transport vehicles. Recordings must be retained for at least 120 days, and passenger data must be handed to the competent authorities on request.
What happens if a company doesn't comply?
After a warning and a one-month cure period, the General Traffic Department's Director-General may ask the competent authority to cancel or block the app. Driver permits can also be withdrawn.
When is the compliance deadline for existing operators?
Existing operators must regularise within three months of the Decision taking effect on 5 July 2026 — i.e., by early October 2026.
Does the Decision apply to booking-only platforms?
Yes. Article 2 covers pure transport-intermediation platforms: they follow the Article 1 conditions (except item 1), must stick to intermediation only, and may deal only with officially licensed carriers.
