KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait: The Kuwait commercial concealment law will impose up to three years in prison and a KD100,000 fine when it takes effect in February 2027.
Decree-Law No. 78 of 2026 was published in Kuwait Al-Youm Issue 1803 on Sunday, August 9. Article 14 delays enforcement for six months after publication. The official gazette did not provide a release time.
The 14-article law prohibits people and companies from conducting economic activity without the required licence or beyond its permitted scope.
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It also criminalises allowing an unauthorised person to operate through another party’s name, licence or commercial registration.
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Article 3 sets imprisonment of one to three years and a fine of KD10,000 to KD100,000, or the illegal profits obtained if that amount is higher, according to the published legal text.
Managers may be held responsible when they knew about an offence or failed to perform their supervisory duties. Courts must also order the confiscation of proceeds, the closure of the business, and the cancellation of its licence following conviction.
Foreign offenders can be deported after serving their sentences. Repeat violations within five years carry double penalties, Arab Times reported.
