Kuwait Issues New Ministerial Resolution Regulating Freelance Business Activities

Kuwait Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) issued Resolution No. 168 of 2025 on the Regulation of Freelance Business Activities (”Resolution”).

The Resolution was published in the Official Gazette, Kuwait Al-Youm and came into effect on 14 September 2025.

The Resolution aims to:

• target Companies which engage in freelance business activities which are considered as ‘micro businesses’ and ‘activities of special nature’.
• allow undertaking freelance business activities without the need for a commercial premise, i.e. registered office.
• reduce capitalisation requirement for operating as freelance business.

Application and Licensing:

• Applications can be submitted to the MOCI via Sahel or Sahel Business Applications, or in any other manner approved by the MOCI.
• The License for practicing the freelance activities must meet the following conditions:
  1. the applicant must be a Single Person Company (SPC).
  2. the founder must be a Kuwaiti citizen of full legal capacity and the company’s manager.
  3. the applicant must be at least 21 years old.
  4. the licence holder must determine an elected address, or a post office box, or an email address registered at the Public Authority for Civil Information.
  5. approval of the property owner (if the elected address is a private residence).
  6. payment of the prescribed fee and signing the required pledge.
  7. commitment not to deal with materials harmful to the environment or public health.
  8. submission of any additional documents required by the MOCI.
• Once granted the License is valid for a term of four years.

Highlights:

• The decision allows multiple freelance activities to be added under a single licence, provided they are similar, complementary, or related to the license.
• Licensed companies must disclose their commercial registration number in all official accounts and transactions and must conduct all commercial transactions exclusively through electronic payments. 
• The Resolution applies to companies established before or after issuance of the Resolution without affecting existing valid licences.
• The capital allocated to practicing freelance activities licensed under the Resolution shall be reduced to half the capital required (50%) to practice similar activities.
• Licensed companies must annually submit their financial documents, and accounts of social media or e-platform to the MOCI.

HFW is ready to assist any enquiries relating to freelance business requirements in Kuwait.