Kuwait's New Media Law: Decree-Law No. 102 of 2026, Fully Explained
Kuwait has issued a sweeping new media law consolidating every form of media activity under one statute: Decree-Law No. 102 of 2026, issued 27 September 2026 and published in the Official Gazette on 4 October 2026. This Kuwait media law repeals three separate prior statutes at once — the Press and Publications Law 3/2006, the Audiovisual Media Law 61/2007, and the Electronic Media Regulation Law 8/2016. The most practically important new feature: an entirely new chapter imposing a mandatory license on advertisers and influencers on social media platforms, including residents and even visitors, with fines up to KD 50,000 for advertising without a license or without disclosure. The law takes effect six months after publication, followed by a further six-month regularisation window for existing operators once the executive regulations are issued.
- Kuwait media law: the overview
- Media activities that now require a licence
- Licensing conditions
- The big one: licensing advertisers and influencers on social media
- Prohibited media content standards
- Penalties: two separate tracks
- Professional protection for journalists
- When does the law take effect?
- What to do now
- Frequently asked questions
Kuwait media law: the overview
This Kuwait media law unifies every form of traditional and modern media activity under one framework of 80 articles across fifteen chapters, replacing rules that had been scattered across three separate statutes issued at different times. The law defines "media activity" broadly: producing, transmitting, distributing, printing, publishing or broadcasting any readable, digital, visual or audio media content made available to the public, whether for payment or not.
Media activities that now require a licence
The law identifies ten categories of activity requiring a licence before they may be practised:
| Activity | Examples |
|---|---|
| Printing and publishing | General and specialised books, periodical and non-periodical publications |
| Newspapers | Print and electronic newspapers |
| Radio and TV broadcasting | Satellite radio and television channels |
| Advertising and promotion | Commercial advertising activity in all its forms |
| Artistic production | Producing audiovisual works and operating studios |
| Cinemas and public events | Cinemas and public artistic/musical events |
| Technical broadcast services | Broadcast and rebroadcast equipment and infrastructure |
| Electronic media outlets | Electronic publishing houses, news agencies, electronic journalism, professional media websites/accounts, electronic commercial advertising services |
In turn, the law explicitly exempts personal accounts not used for regular professional media activity, and company websites/accounts limited to introducing the business or its products — unless used for regular advertising activity beyond that purpose.
Licensing conditions
| Condition | Natural person | Company / investment entity |
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Kuwaiti national | Kuwaiti company or an entity licensed under the Direct Investment Law 116/2013 |
| Age | 21 or older | Required of partners/board members |
| Reputation | Good conduct, no final conviction for a felony or crime of moral turpitude | Required of partners/board members |
| Qualification | Set by executive regulations per activity | Not required of the entity itself |
| Licence term | 5 years, renewable, capped fee of KD 10,000 | |
The Ministry must decide a complete application within 60 days; silence beyond that period counts as approval — an important safeguard against unexplained administrative delay.
The big one: licensing advertisers and influencers on social media
Kuwait's new media law devotes an entirely new chapter — absent from the three laws it repeals — to regulating advertising and promotion on social media platforms. It applies to any advertiser or promoter — citizen, resident, or even visitor — practising commercial advertising or promotion activity whenever their content targets an audience inside Kuwait, whether paid or unpaid.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 (lower than the standard 21 for other media licences) |
| Decision window | 60 days — but here, silence means rejection, the opposite of the general rule for other media licences |
| Licence term | 2 years, renewable |
| Mandatory disclosure | Any promotional or advertising content must be explicitly and clearly labelled as such |
| Penalty for violation | KD 1,000–50,000 fine for advertising without a licence, publishing an undisclosed ad, or misleading content that deceives consumers |
| Administrative sanction | Licence suspension of up to 6 months, renewable (a lighter regime than the automatic cancellation that applies to other media licences) |
A common question: does your personal account, or your company's own self-promotion account, need a licence? No — as long as it's limited to personal use or introducing your own business, without running regular advertising for others. But if your company hires an influencer or advertiser to promote its products for payment or benefit, the licensing and disclosure duty falls on that advertiser — and your company should confirm they're licensed and compliant with disclosure rules, to protect your brand from the exposure that comes with an unlicensed partner.
Prohibited media content standards
The law sets unified content standards for every licensee, broadly covering: no offence to religious figures or Islamic constants (or other faiths), no criticism of the Amir or the system of governance, no harm to Kuwait's foreign relations, no incitement of sectarian or tribal strife or violence and hatred, protection of public morals, individual privacy and children, a duty of accuracy with no false or misleading news, and no content damaging the national currency or confidence in the economy.
Penalties: two separate tracks
The law clearly separates two parallel tracks: administrative sanctions imposed directly by the Ministry (warning, caution, a fine of KD 100–10,000 doubled on repeat up to a KD 20,000 cap, administrative closure up to 6 months), and criminal liability for offences defined in the law, which fall to the Public Prosecution and the courts.
| Criminal offence | Fine |
|---|---|
| Practising a media activity without a licence | KD 1,000–10,000 |
| Advertising/promotion without a licence (advertisers and influencers) | KD 1,000–50,000 |
| Undisclosed advertising or misleading content | KD 1,000–50,000 |
| Obstructing judicial officers or auditors | KD 1,000–20,000 |
| Possessing broadcast equipment without approval | KD 1,000–20,000 + confiscation |
Fines double where the violator is a company, and cannot fall below half the maximum on recidivism within five years. On conviction, the court may order confiscation of funds and equipment, blocking of a site or account for up to a year, and even a ban on the convicted person appearing, publishing, or managing any account or electronic site for up to a full year.
Professional protection for journalists
The law provides an important professional protection: journalists are not criminally liable for what they publish or broadcast in the course of their profession, provided they acted in good faith, upheld accuracy and objectivity, and exercised due diligence to verify information before publishing and genuinely believed it was accurate. The protection is conditional, not absolute.
When does the law take effect? A two-stage timeline
- Stage one (around April 2027): the law itself takes effect six months after its Gazette publication, and the competent Minister must issue the executive regulations within that same six-month window.
- Stage two (timing depends on when the regulations issue): existing media operators then get a further six months from the regulations' issuance date to regularise their status — which, depending on exactly when the regulations are published, could realistically push into late 2027. Failing to regularise within that window results in automatic licence cancellation.
What to do now, depending on your position
- Existing media outlets and professional websites: review your current licence under the repealed laws, confirm your editor-in-chief or responsible manager meets the conditions, and prepare to re-file once the executive regulations are published.
- Businesses working with influencers or advertisers: confirm your partner holds an advertiser/promoter licence, and update contracts to require clear ad disclosure — protecting your brand from the exposure of working with an unlicensed partner — our Corporate & Commercial team can review these contracts with you.
- Business accounts and content creators: assess the scale and nature of your promotional activity — if you're regularly paid to promote others' products, you likely need a licence under the new Chapter 8.
- Everyone: watch for the executive regulations over the next six months — they will set the precise fees, qualifications and procedures. Official updates are published via the Kuwait Ministry of Information.
Does the new media law affect your business or marketing campaigns?
Al-Dostour Law Firm advises on media activity licensing, influencer and advertiser contracts, and regularisation under the new law — in Arabic and English.
Call +965 2220 4084WhatsApp usFrequently Asked Questions
Does every social media account need a licence?
No. The exemption covers personal accounts not running regular commercial advertising for others, and company accounts limited to introducing themselves or their own products.
Does the media law cover residents and visitors?
Yes, for advertising and promotion on social media — anyone targeting an audience inside Kuwait is covered regardless of nationality or residency status.
What's the penalty for advertising without a licence or without disclosure?
A fine of KD 1,000–50,000, doubled if the violator is a company, with possible suspension of an existing licence for up to six months.
When does the law actually take effect?
The law itself takes effect six months after publication (around April 2027), but existing operators get a further six months from the executive regulations' issuance to regularise.
Does the law protect journalists from criminal liability?
Yes, conditionally: good faith, accuracy and objectivity, and due diligence to verify information before publishing.
What's the difference between the administrative sanction and the criminal penalty here?
Two separate tracks that don't substitute for each other: administrative sanctions (warning, caution, fines up to KD 20,000, temporary closure) are imposed directly by the Ministry, while criminal penalties (higher fines, confiscation, blocking) are imposed by a court following a criminal case.
