The Ministry of Commerce and Industry introduced and amended 14 commercial activities during the first half of 2026, reflecting efforts to keep Kuwait’s commercial framework aligned with changing market conditions and evolving business needs.
According to ministry data, five new commercial activities were introduced, while the classification of nine existing activities was amended within the framework of the Unified Guide for the Classification of Economic Activities in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The introduction of new activities expands the range of sectors available to investors and entrepreneurs and provides formal commercial classifications for emerging areas of business. It also enables such activities to operate within defined licensing, regulatory and oversight frameworks.
The move also has wider commercial implications, as the creation and regulation of activities can support the establishment of new companies and projects and generate demand for related services, commercial premises, equipment, labor and supply chains.
A clear official classification of business activities can also provide investors with greater clarity over licensing requirements, applicable regulations and the authorities responsible for oversight. This helps provide a defined framework for activities that may already exist in the market but do not yet have a specific commercial classification.
The ministry’s approach also supports the diversification of investment opportunities beyond traditional activities by providing investors with a broader range of sectors in which to establish or expand businesses.
The five main activities introduced by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry during the first half of 2026 were buying, selling and exchanging used electrical appliances, drying food products by collection, men’s relaxation and body care centers, women’s relaxation and body care centers and restaurants serving shisha.
Alongside the introduction of these activities, the ministry amended the classification of nine other activities in accordance with the Unified Guide for the Classification of Economic Activities in GCC countries.
The amended activities are rental of passenger cars without a driver, rental of motorcycles, psychological consultations, real estate inspection services, retail sale of luxury watches, wholesale sale of luxury watches; retail sale of jewelry, halal food consultations and chemicals, drilling fluids and their derivatives for oil and gas wells.
The amendments form part of the ministry’s effort to keep the commercial classification system responsive to developments in the market. Where an activity is already being carried out but lacks a clear commercial designation, establishing an official classification allows it to be regulated under defined requirements and oversight.
By updating both new and existing activity classifications, the ministry is broadening the formal commercial framework while providing investors and businesses with clearer categories under which they can operate, reports Al-Anba daily.
The changes cover a range of sectors, from retail and vehicle rentals to professional consultations, hospitality, personal services and oil and gas-related activities, reflecting the variety of business areas being incorporated into or updated within Kuwait’s commercial activity framework.
