Kuwait moves to overhaul public advertising framework
The Council of Ministers has directed Kuwait Municipality to take immediate steps to reorganize the legal status of advertisements in public spaces, aiming to enhance the country’s visual landscape and align it with global standards.
In an official communication, the Council tasked the municipality with developing updated mechanisms for licensing, supervision, and monitoring of advertisements across roads, buildings, and public areas. The move seeks to ensure that advertising content and placement reflect Kuwait’s image while keeping pace with modern international practices.
The directive also calls for a comprehensive review of billboard locations and advertising sites, alongside stricter oversight of campaign content. Authorities have been instructed to coordinate with the Central Agency for Public Tenders to establish optimal contracting mechanisms with specialized international advertising firms, in line with existing legal frameworks.
The decision follows earlier measures assigning Kuwait Municipality full authority over licensing and regulating public advertisements, excluding directional signage. The Council also referred concerns about campaigns that distort public utilities to the Joint Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs and Public Services for further study and recommendations.
During deliberations, the committee highlighted the widespread visual clutter caused by the volume and nature of advertisements on roads and buildings, stressing the need to reassess current procedures and implement corrective solutions.
Officials from the Kuwait Investment Authority and the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority participated in discussions, emphasizing the importance of establishing a clear regulatory framework governing the acceptance and placement of advertisements. However, it was noted that proposals to create a government-owned advertising company fall outside the current mandate of the investment authority.
The municipality presented two key proposals to address the issue. The first involves launching advertising tenders through the Kuwait Investment Authority, though challenges were cited regarding the creation of a dedicated government entity. The second proposal suggests that the municipality directly manage advertising tenders by engaging an international consultancy to develop solutions, define regulatory conditions, and identify suitable billboard locations across governorates and highways.
The plan also includes setting specific guidelines for billboard installations on buildings, in coordination with relevant authorities, as part of a broader effort to regulate the sector and improve Kuwait’s urban appearance.
