Kuwait Decree-Law No. 102 of 2026 promulgating the Media Regulation Law — one law for press, broadcast and electronic media; the 2006, 2007 and 2016 media laws repealed from 4 April 2027

Issued at Seif Palace on 16 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448H (27 September 2026) by the Amir, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, on the proposal of the Acting Minister of Information and Culture and with the approval of the Council of Ministers; countersigned by the Prime Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and the Acting Minister of Information and Culture, Omar Saud Abdulaziz Al-Omar.

Art. 1: the provisions of the attached law apply to the regulation of media. Art. 2: the competent minister issues the executive regulations within six months of publication of the decree-law in the Official Gazette, and the decisions needed to implement its provisions. Art. 3: those carrying on the media activities covered by the attached law at the time it takes effect must bring their position into line with it within six months of the issue of the executive regulations; failure to do so within that period results in cancellation of the licence. Art. 4 repeals Law No. 3 of 2006 on Press and Publications, Law No. 61 of 2007 on Audio-Visual Media and Law No. 8 of 2016 regulating Electronic Media, and every provision contrary to the attached law. Art. 5: ministers implement it; it is published in the Official Gazette and takes effect six months after publication.

The preamble cites, among others, the Penal Code (Law No. 16 of 1960), the Code of Criminal Procedure (Law No. 17 of 1960), Law No. 9 of 2001 on misuse of telephone communications and eavesdropping devices (amended by Law No. 40 of 2007), Decree-Law No. 19 of 2012 on the protection of national unity, Law No. 106 of 2013 on combating money laundering and terrorist financing, Law No. 37 of 2014 establishing the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority, Law No. 63 of 2015 on combating information technology crimes, Law No. 2 of 2016 establishing the Anti-Corruption Authority (amended by Decree-Law No. 69 of 2025), the Copyright Law (Law No. 75 of 2019), Decree-Law No. 114 of 2024 on the residence of foreigners, Decree-Law No. 10 of 2026 regulating work in the digital commerce sector, Decree-Law No. 11 of 2026 on protection from domestic violence, Decree-Law No. 78 of 2026 on combating commercial concealment, and the Judicial Organisation Law issued by Decree-Law No. 80 of 2026.

USE IN A REPORT: cite the decree-law by number and article (Decree-Law No. 102 of 2026, Art. X) and the attached law as 'the Media Regulation Law (2026), Art. X'. Until 4 April 2027 the 2006, 2007 and 2016 media laws remain the law in force, and conduct before that date is judged under them.

The decree-law sets three periods: six months to the law's entry into force (from publication), six months for the executive regulations (from publication), and six months for existing operators to regularise (from the regulations). Until the regulations are issued, the practical licensing position under the new law cannot be stated. The preamble's citation of the national-unity, cybercrime and anti-money-laundering laws indicates the statutes alongside which the new law is to be read; it does not by itself show which of their offences the new law incorporates.

Art. 1 of the Media Regulation Law defines: the competent ministry (the Ministry of Information); the competent minister (the Minister of Information); the competent body (the General Department of Media Regulation); the Authority (the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority). 'Media activities': any activity relating to the production, publication, distribution, printing, broadcasting, rebroadcasting or transmission of media content, whether read, heard, visual or digital, made available to the public through media outlets, for consideration or not, as set out in Art. 4. 'Publication' (المطبوع): any writing, drawing, image or statement, alone or accompanied by music or other means of expression, recorded on traditional media or any other medium or stored by any means of preservation, electronic or otherwise, prepared for circulation for consideration or not, by a licensed media outlet or a professional media activity. 'Electronic newspaper': any website, platform or electronic media outlet managed professionally or institutionally that presents electronic content including news, topics, articles or multimedia of a press or media character, whether published at regular or irregular intervals. 'Licensee': the natural or legal person permitted to carry on any media activity under the law. 'Circulation': selling the publication or offering it for sale or distribution, or posting it on any support such as shop fronts or walls, or making it available in any way to a number of persons, for consideration or not. 'Paper newspaper': any newspaper, magazine or other printed publication issued under one name periodically, at regular or irregular intervals, even if it is merely a translation of or excerpt from other publications. 'Printer' and 'publisher' are also defined.

USE IN A REPORT: cite the decree-law by number and article (Decree-Law No. 102 of 2026, Art. X) and the attached law as 'the Media Regulation Law (2026), Art. X'. Until 4 April 2027 the 2006, 2007 and 2016 media laws remain the law in force, and conduct before that date is judged under them.

The definitions are framed broadly — 'media activities' extends to digital content and to activity without consideration, and 'circulation' to making material available in any way to a number of persons. The limit written into the 'electronic newspaper' definition is that the outlet is managed professionally or institutionally; Art. 4, which lists the activities, and the licensing and penalty provisions were not part of the text read and determine how far the law reaches individual online publishers.