Kuwait's New Tobacco and Nicotine Rules: What Retailers, Importers and Platforms Must Do Before January 2027

The Minister of Health issued Ministerial Decision No. 237 of 2026 on regulating the trading of tobacco products, nicotine and nicotine delivery systems on 12 August 2026, published in Kuwait Al-Youm Issue 1804, pages 38 to 41, dated 16 August 2026. For the first time, a single instrument brings product registration, sales channels, advertising and age limits under one set of rules, and it applies from 1 January 2027.

Why this matters: this is not a narrow health measure. It changes who may sell these products, where, to whom and how they may be talked about in public. Importers, grocery and convenience retailers, co-operatives, e-commerce sites, delivery apps, advertising agencies and social media influencers all have obligations, and the transition window is about four and a half months.

What is banned outright

Article 3 prohibits importing, manufacturing, distributing, selling or advertising a defined list of products regardless of any licence. The headline item is nicotine pouches and other oral nicotine products not registered as medicine, a category that has grown quickly in Gulf markets. The ban also reaches products of unknown origin or that fail approved specifications, novel products not licensed by the Ministry of Health, products whose design, packaging, trade name or marketing appeals to children or young people (cartoon characters, candy-like packaging), and products exceeding nicotine or emissions limits set by the competent authorities.

What survives, but only with registration

Everything else, including conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, may only be traded after registration and approval by the Ministry of Health under Article 4. Registration requires full disclosure of ingredients, nicotine concentration, additives, country of origin and batch data. Packs must carry pictorial health warnings covering at least 50 percent of the principal display area, in line with the Gulf technical regulation adopted by Ministerial Decision No. 345 of 2023. Health or cessation claims are prohibited without express ministry approval, as are descriptors such as "light", "ultra light" or "low tar".

A new sales map

Article 6 is where most businesses will feel the change. Sales and display are prohibited in grocery stores (baqalas), mobile carts and temporary kiosks, through self-service machines, on websites, apps and social media platforms, through delivery services, and at any outlet within 200 metres of the walls of an educational institution. Co-operative societies and parallel markets may only display the products in designated supervised areas out of direct public reach. The decision builds on Commerce Ministry Decision No. 27 of 2026, which banned delivery-platform sales in March; the health decision now anchors the e-commerce ban in the wider framework and extends it to display and promotion.

Advertising goes dark

Article 7 imposes a complete ban on direct and indirect advertising, promotion and marketing across all media, expressly including websites, social media platforms, influencers and content creators, billboards, exhibitions and events. Free samples, gifts, discounts, promotional offers and sponsorship of sports, cultural, social or educational activities are all prohibited. Media outlets must also limit smoking imagery in content directed at, or likely to reach, children and adolescents.

Age 21, verified

Article 5 prohibits selling or supplying these products to anyone under 21. Sellers must verify age against the civil ID or another approved method before completing a sale, display bilingual signage at the point of sale, and the licensee bears responsibility for breaches. E-cigarettes and heated tobacco are treated as smoking in all public places where smoking is banned (Article 8).

Enforcement and timing

The Ministry of Health will coordinate inspection and seizure with the Environment Public Authority, environmental police and General Administration of Customs, and can have violating online content blocked or removed (Article 9). Penalties follow the existing laws, chiefly the smoking control Law No. 15 of 1995 (Article 10). The decision takes effect on 1 January 2027 and repeals conflicting provisions.

A practical checklist

Importers and distributors should inventory their portfolio against the Article 3 ban list, start Ministry of Health registration early for everything else, and check labelling against the 50 percent warning rule. Retailers should map every outlet against the prohibited locations, including the 200 metre school radius, and build 21+ verification into till procedures. E-commerce sites and delivery apps should delist these products and remove related content before January. Brands and agencies should wind down influencer arrangements, sponsorships and promotional stock, since the advertising ban has no grandfathering.

WEFAQ's view: treat 1 January 2027 as a hard deadline. The decision leaves the detail of product registration to the Ministry of Health, so the businesses that engage with the ministry early will keep their products on shelves while competitors wait. WEFAQ advises importers, retailers and platforms on licensing, labelling and the restructuring of distribution and advertising contracts under the new rules.

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Source: Kuwait Al-Youm Issue 1804, pages 38 to 41, dated 16 August 2026; Ministerial Decision No. 237 of 2026 dated 12 August 2026; Ministerial Decision No. 345 of 2023; Law No. 15 of 1995.

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your circumstances, please contact WEFAQ Law Firm.