Kuwaiti citizens will be able to run licensed freelance businesses without renting commercial premises under two ministerial decisions issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

In a statement to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Tuesday, the ministry said Ministerial Decision No. 216 of 2026 sets out the licensing requirements, while Decision No. 217 of 2026 lists the activities eligible for freelance registration.

The approved fields span professional, scientific, technical, consultancy and commercial services, administrative support, arts, entertainment, education and tourism, as well as basic maintenance, information and communications, real estate, and the manufacture of textiles, clothing and leather goods.

Each business must be set up as a single-person company managed by its founder, who must be a Kuwaiti citizen aged at least 21, have full legal capacity, and have no final custodial sentence for a felony or an offence involving dishonesty or breach of trust unless legally rehabilitated. Applications can be filed through the Kuwait Business Center, the Sahel and Sahel Business apps, or other approved channels.

Licences run for four years and are renewable. Companies must open a bank account in their own name, use electronic payment methods approved by the Central Bank of Kuwait, and display their commercial registration number in transactions, on websites and on social media. Receiving customers at private residences is prohibited.

Freelancers may contract licensed manufacturers and warehouses for production, packaging, storage and order fulfilment, and sell at exhibitions, temporary markets and online. The minister may amend the list of approved activities through decisions published in the Official Gazette.