7 Conditions for Citizens to Operate Passenger Transport via Mobile Applications

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef issued Ministerial Decision No. (893 of 2026) concerning electronic applications.

Published in the Official Gazette (Kuwait Today) on July 5, 2026, following review of Law No. 1968/23 concerning the Police Force System and its amendments, Decree-Law No. 1976/67 concerning Traffic and its amendments, Ministerial Decision No. 2020/271 concerning commercial activities related to the General Directorate of Traffic, Ministerial Decision No. 2020/724 concerning electronic applications, and letters nos. 3069 and 152 from the Assistant Undersecretary for Public Security Affairs, along with their attachments.

Article One of the Decision stipulates several conditions for companies or institutions to engage in commercial activities related to the General Directorate of Traffic via their electronic applications:

- The company or institution must be officially authorized to conduct the commercial activity in accordance with the Traffic Law, its Executive Regulations, and the relevant Ministerial Decisions.

- Obtain a license from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to conduct the activity.

- Obtain approval from the General Directorate of Traffic.

- The company or institution must have an office, meeting the conditions set by the General Directorate of Traffic, serving as the headquarters for the electronic application.

- Prepare an electronic record detailing vehicle movements, trip data, the carrier, the cargo, the vehicle, and the driver, along with the time and date of pickup and delivery. The system must provide a username to the assigned traffic officer and include any other data required by the General Directorate of Traffic, with data copies retained as needed.

- Comply strictly with the regulations governing their activity and refrain from using the electronic application for any unlicensed activity.

- Install a camera inside passenger transport vehicles, ensuring that recordings are retained for no less than 120 days.

- Provide any passenger-related data to the competent authorities upon request.

Regarding companies or institutions engaging exclusively in transport brokerage activities via electronic applications, Article Two stipulates the following conditions:

- Comply with all conditions outlined in Article One of this Decision, except for item (1).

- The activity must be limited exclusively to transport brokerage.

- These electronic applications must deal only with companies and institutions engaged in commercial activities related to the General Directorate of Traffic, in accordance with the relevant Ministerial Decisions.

With regard to Kuwaiti citizens engaging exclusively in passenger transport activities via electronic applications, Article Three stipulates the following conditions:

- The individual must have a good reputation and conduct, and must not have been previously convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude or dishonesty, unless their reputation has been restored. They must not have committed serious traffic violations, nor been caught driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages, drugs, psychoactive substances, or any other substances affecting their natural faculties, as confirmed by a criminal record certificate issued by the General Directorate of Criminal Evidence.

- The individual must be at least 21 years old.

- The vehicle must be air-conditioned, clean inside and out, and meet all safety and durability requirements stipulated in the Executive Regulations of the Traffic Law and its supplementary Ministerial Decisions and amendments.

- The vehicle must not be more than three years old from the date of manufacture. It must cease providing service upon reaching seven years from the date of manufacture, and must be owned by the individual operating it.

- The vehicle must be configured to carry a minimum of three passengers and a maximum of seven passengers, excluding the driver.

- The individual must hold a suitable market license for the activity.

- The individual must obtain a permit from the General Directorate of Traffic to conduct the activity, which must be renewed annually.

Article Four stipulates that the General Directorate of Traffic has the right to monitor and supervise these applications. In the event that companies or institutions violate the provisions of the Traffic Law, its Executive Regulations, and the relevant Ministerial Decisions, and fail to rectify the violation within one month of being notified, the Director General of the General Directorate of Traffic may contact the competent authority to cancel or block the application.

Furthermore, in all cases, the Director General of the General Directorate of Traffic may revoke the permit granted to a Kuwaiti citizen if they violate the provisions of the Traffic Law, its Executive Regulations, or the provisions of this Decision.

Article 5 stipulated that the provisions of this decision apply to transport mediation activities conducted via electronic applications, as well as to all activities subject to the General Directorate of Traffic if they are carried out through electronic applications. Article 6 stated that companies and institutions conducting business activities related to the General Directorate of Traffic via electronic applications must regularize their status in accordance with the provisions of this decision within three months from the date of its implementation.

Article 7 repealed Ministerial Decision No. (724) of 2020. Meanwhile, Article 8 confirmed that the Deputy Minister of Interior is responsible for implementing this decision, which takes effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

New conditions for renting cars or motorcycles: The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, issued a decision amending certain provisions of Ministerial Decision No. 723/2020 concerning the rental of cars or motorcycles. The decision stated:

Article 1: Clauses 3 and 9 of Article 1 of the aforementioned Ministerial Decision No. 723/2020 are amended to read as follows:

3. A contract must be concluded between the lessor and the lessee in both Arabic and English, outlining the obligations of each party, with each retaining a paper or electronic copy to be presented upon request.

9. Approved records, either paper or electronic, must be maintained as certified by the General Directorate of Traffic, recording the details of the car or motorcycle lessee (name, nationality, address, phone number, market license number, its date, start and end dates of the rental period, and any other available data to reach them), or the driver’s details if the car is rented with a driver. If the rental is to legal entities, the name of the legal representative of the entity must be mentioned, along with the name of the driver for each rented car or motorcycle, provided that their submitted documents are valid.

In the event that a car is rented with a driver, an interior camera must be installed in the car in accordance with the procedures of the competent authorities, and if data is requested, it must be handed over to the relevant authorities.

Article 2: Article 3 of the aforementioned Ministerial Decision No. 723/2020 is amended to read as follows:

Article 3: Without prejudice to the conditions stipulated in the Traffic Law and its Executive Regulations, the following conditions are required for licensing cars or motorcycles for rental activities:

1. The age of the motorcycle at the time of initial licensing must not exceed three years from the year of manufacture, and its licensing period for this activity must not exceed six years from the year of manufacture.

2. The age of private cars, light transport vehicles (vans), and small buses (with a passenger capacity not exceeding 14 passengers) at the time of initial licensing must not exceed three years from the year of manufacture, and their licensing period for this activity must not exceed eight years.

3. The age of medium transport vehicles (half-trucks), trucks, and buses with a passenger capacity of 15 or more at the time of initial licensing must not exceed five years from the year of manufacture, and their licensing period for this activity must not exceed 15 years.

4. The car or motorcycle intended for rental must be covered by a comprehensive, valid, non-cancellable insurance policy during its engagement in the car or motorcycle rental activity, renewed annually.

5. The car or motorcycle registration book must indicate that the vehicle is intended for rental.

Article 3: Companies or institutions engaged in the car or motorcycle rental activity must regularize their status in accordance with the provisions of this decision within three months from the date of its implementation.