Kuwait Municipality sets clear rules for advertising licenses

• Billboards must display the license number with start and end dates, and contracted companies must restore sites after removing ads, with supervisory units ensuring compliance.

Manal Al-Asfour, the Acting Director General of Kuwait Municipality, has issued a circular outlining updated procedures and requirements for advertising licenses, as reported by Al Anba newspaper.

Article 1: Compliance guidelines

First: Identification advertising license data:

License holders are required to adhere to the following:

1. The license number, along with its start and end dates, must be clearly written on the billboard.
2. Billboards must not feature overly bright or dazzling lighting that could compromise public safety, health, or violate lighting regulations.

Second: Auction announcements offered by the Kuwait Municipality

The competent committee overseeing auction contracts must coordinate and follow up on the following matters through the supervisory units in municipal branches across the governorates:

1. Companies and institutions contracted through advertising auction agreements are required to maintain public facilities after removing advertisements and must restore sites to their original condition. Supervisory units are responsible for inspecting these sites upon advertisement removal or relocation, ensuring that necessary actions are taken and legal measures are applied if required.
2. They need to emphasize the contracted companies and institutions to cover billboards when they are devoid of advertising content. Billboards should not be left uncovered to preserve public safety and maintain the aesthetic of public spaces.

Third: Issuing advertising licenses

All departments responsible for issuing advertising licenses must adhere to the following guidelines to ensure the process runs smoothly and supports the work of the supervisory units:

1. Clearly identify the location of the advertisement to be licensed, as determined by the relevant municipal authority.
2. Submit individual applications for each advertisement license. Merging multiple license applications into one is not permitted.
3. Ensure the inclusion of a detailed plan (croquet) of the advertisement submitted with the license application. This document will aid regulatory authorities in inspecting the advertisements and must be stored in the license file according to established procedures.
4. Provide full and detailed information about the license holder or their legal representative, whether they are a natural person or a legal entity.

Article 2

All heads of municipal sectors and officials in supervisory roles across various units must implement the directives outlined in this circular. This is to ensure the smooth functioning of operations, safeguard the public interest, and address any concerns raised by regulatory authorities.