Ministry of Health Issues Comprehensive Rules for Tobacco and Nicotine Products, Effective 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 in Kuwait on 12 August 2026. The decision was published in Kuwait Al-Youm Issue 1804, pages 38 to 41, dated 16 August 2026, and applies from 1 January 2027.

The decision covers all tobacco and nicotine products and delivery systems, including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco devices, liquids, cartridges and accessories. It bans outright nicotine pouches and oral nicotine products not registered as medicine, products of unknown origin or without a licence, and any product whose design, packaging or marketing is aimed at children or young people.

Products that are not banned may only be imported, manufactured or sold after registration and approval by the Ministry of Health, with full disclosure of ingredients and nicotine content, pictorial health warnings covering at least half of the pack face, and a prohibition on any health claim or descriptors such as "light" or "less harmful".

Sales to anyone under 21 are prohibited, with mandatory age verification against the civil ID. The decision also bans selling or displaying these products in grocery stores, kiosks and self-service machines, through websites, apps, social media and delivery services, and at any outlet within 200 metres of a school or university. Advertising and promotion are banned in all forms, including through influencers and content creators, along with free samples and sponsorships.

WEFAQ's view: the decision redraws the entire sales map for these products in Kuwait, and the runway to 1 January 2027 is short in practice. Importers, retailers and delivery platforms should review their licences, sales channels and advertising contracts now.

Read more: for the full analysis, read our companion blog article: "Kuwait's New Tobacco and Nicotine Rules: What Retailers, Importers and Platforms Must Do Before January 2027".