MOI approval mandatory for government surveillance camera contracts
Public entities must secure electronic approval for CCTV installations
• The new directive also cancels Circular No. 15 of 2025, issued on October 15, 2025, and took effect from November 11, 2026.
Government entities in Kuwait must obtain electronic approval from the Ministry of Interior before submitting tenders, practices or direct contracts for the installation of security cameras and surveillance equipment, under a new directive issued by the Central Agency for Public Tenders.
The agency’s Secretary General, Anwar Al-Tawari, issued Circular No. 14 of 2026 on November 11, setting out the procedures for obtaining the required approval through the Ministry of Interior’s General Directorate of Security Systems.
Under the circular, all public entities covered by the Public Tenders Law must obtain an electronic document titled “Approval to Install Security Monitoring Systems” and attach it to their applications submitted to the Central Agency for Public Tenders for contracts involving surveillance cameras and monitoring devices.
To secure the approval, government entities must access the Ministry of Interior’s official website, select the designated service for approving the installation of security monitoring systems and complete the required electronic procedures.
The directive makes the ministry’s approval a mandatory supporting document for the submission of tenders, practices and direct contracts involving the installation of such equipment.
The circular is based on Law No. 49 of 2016 concerning Public Tenders and its amendments, together with its implementing regulations issued under Decree No. 30 of 2017. It also draws on Law No. 61 of 2015 regulating the installation of security cameras and monitoring equipment, along with relevant ministerial decisions and regulations.
The new directive also cancels Circular No. 15 of 2025, issued on October 15, 2025, and took effect from November 11, 2026.
The move establishes a unified electronic approval procedure for government surveillance system contracts, ensuring that the Ministry of Interior’s clearance is obtained before the relevant procurement applications are submitted to the Central Agency for Public Tenders.
