Kuwait has introduced sweeping new regulations for tobacco and nicotine products, banning online sales and deliveries, raising the minimum purchase age to 21 and extending smoking restrictions to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Health Minister Dr Ahmed Al Awadhi issued Ministerial Resolution No. 237 of 2026, setting out a broad legal framework covering the import, manufacture, packaging, distribution, sale, display, advertising, promotion and use of tobacco and nicotine products.
The rules, which were published by Al Anbaa newspaper, will take effect on January 1, 2027.
They apply to conventional tobacco products as well as electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, nicotine-containing products and other nicotine-delivery systems, including future technologies that may emerge after the law comes into force.
The measures are aimed at strengthening public health protections and reducing the health, economic and social costs linked to tobacco and nicotine use, especially among children and young people.
Under the new rules, tobacco and nicotine products cannot be sold, delivered or otherwise supplied to anyone under 21.
Retailers will be required to verify age using a civil ID or another officially approved method before completing any sale or delivery.
Licensed outlets must also display a clear notice in Arabic and English stating that sales to people under 21 are prohibited.
The resolution defines a sale broadly, covering conventional retail transactions as well as online purchases, delivery services, free samples, gifts and promotional offers.
One of the key provisions is a ban on selling, displaying or distributing regulated products through websites, mobile applications, social media platforms and delivery services.
Sales through self-service machines are also prohibited. Even where sales are permitted, tobacco and nicotine products cannot be displayed in a way that allows customers to access them directly without supervision.
The rules also ban the sale, display and distribution of tobacco and nicotine products in nurseries, schools, universities, healthcare facilities, government institutions, sports clubs, youth centres, cinemas and other places serving children and young people.
Restrictions also apply to grocery shops, mobile carts, temporary kiosks, exhibitions and entertainment events.
The resolution further prohibits the import, manufacture, packaging, repackaging, distribution, sale, display, storage for sale, advertising or promotion of nicotine pouches and other oral or mucosal nicotine products that are not registered as medicines.
It also bans products of unknown origin, products that fail to meet approved specifications and newly introduced products that have not received Ministry of Health approval.
Products exceeding permitted limits for nicotine, ingredients or emissions are also barred.
The rules are designed to cover not only products already on the market but also future nicotine technologies. Any new product containing tobacco or nicotine, or used to deliver either substance, will fall under the regulations if it has not been registered, approved or licensed by the Ministry of Health.
Products designed or marketed in a way likely to attract children or young people will also be prohibited. That includes packaging with cartoons, animated characters or toy imagery, as well as packaging resembling sweets, drinks or other child-oriented products.
No product may be manufactured, imported, distributed or sold unless it has first been registered and approved by the relevant Ministry of Health departments and meets all other government requirements.
Manufacturers and traders must disclose details including ingredients, nicotine concentration, additives, country of origin, batch number, production date and expiry date.
The resolution also bans unapproved health or therapeutic claims about tobacco and nicotine products. Terms such as “less harmful”, “mild”, “very light” and “low tar” are prohibited, along with any wording that could suggest reduced health risks.
Advertising and promotion through any medium are also banned. The restrictions apply to traditional media, websites, social media, influencers, content creators, billboards, exhibitions and events.
Businesses will not be allowed to distribute free samples, gifts, discounts or promotional deals, while tobacco and nicotine brands cannot sponsor sporting, cultural, social or educational activities.
The resolution also introduces controls on media and digital content showing smoking or nicotine use, especially material aimed at children and adolescents. Where such scenes are technically necessary, an awareness message or health warning must appear alongside them.
Electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and similar devices will be treated as smoking under Kuwait’s existing public-place restrictions, meaning vaping will be banned in enclosed and public places where smoking is already prohibited.
The Ministry of Health will oversee implementation in coordination with other agencies, including customs, environmental authorities and environmental police.
Authorities will have the power to inspect premises, detect violations, block illegal imports, remove non-compliant products from the market and take down unlawful online advertisements.
Violators will face penalties under existing Kuwaiti laws and regulations.
The resolution will be published in the Official Gazette and will come into force on January 1, 2027.
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