Smokers heading to Kuwait have a fresh reminder that the country’s indoor smoking ban is enforced on the street, not just written down. In a campaign announced by the Ministry of Interior on September 2, 2026, the Environmental Police Department of the Security Directorates Affairs Sector issued 30 citations for smoking during a single sweep of Al-Mubarakiya Market in Kuwait City, along with one citation for littering and one against an establishment for allowing smoking on its premises.
The ministry said the campaign was meant to “enforce the Environmental Protection Law and curb illegal practices to maintain public cleanliness.”
What the law says
Kuwait’s Environmental Protection Law (Law No. 42 of 2014) prohibits smoking in public transport and in enclosed and semi-enclosed public places, except in designated areas defined by the law’s executive regulations. The penalties cited in the campaign coverage are:
- KD 50 to KD 100 for smoking in an enclosed or semi-enclosed space.
- KD 1,000 to KD 5,000 for an establishment that permits smoking.
- KD 50 to KD 500 for littering.
The Environmental Police hold the authority to issue these citations directly, which is what happened at Al-Mubarakiya. The market is Kuwait City’s oldest souq, a mix of covered lanes, cafés and open courtyards, so the “semi-enclosed” wording matters: a roofed lane between shops counts as covered space under the law even when it feels like the outdoors.
Where you can still smoke in Kuwait
The law’s exception for designated areas is what keeps smoking legal in specific places. In practice that means:
- Outdoors, in open air, away from building entrances and covered walkways.
- Designated smoking rooms where an operator provides them. At Kuwait International Airport, the confirmed indoor option today is the smoking room inside Terminal 5’s Hayakom Lounge, right after security; Terminal 4’s operator lists two rooms while marking them closed, and Terminal 1 has been closed since June 2026. Our Kuwait International Airport smoking guide has the terminal-by-terminal detail.
Cafés and restaurants that once tolerated indoor smoking are the establishments now facing the KD 1,000 to KD 5,000 band, which is why the market sweep produced a citation against a business as well as against individual smokers. If a venue has no signposted smoking area, assume the answer is no.
Vaping in Kuwait
The campaign targeted smoking, and the law’s enclosed-space ban is written around tobacco smoking. E-cigarettes have moved in and out of legal status in Kuwait over the past decade, so travellers carrying a device should check the current import position before flying and keep the device packed inside enclosed public spaces. Our Kuwait smoking guide covers the country-level rules and the airport options in one place.
What it means for travellers
- Kuwait enforces its indoor ban with on-the-spot citations, including at tourist spots such as Al-Mubarakiya.
- Smoke outdoors in the open, or in a signposted designated area. Covered market lanes, cafés and shopping centres are not open air.
- At the airport, plan around Terminal 5’s lounge smoking room or the outdoor areas outside the terminals; do not count on a room in Terminal 4 until you have seen it open.
Sources
- Arab Times — 30 smoking citations issued in Al-Mubarakiya campaign (September 2, 2026): arabtimesonline.com
- Times Kuwait — Environmental police issue 30 smoking violations at Al-Mubarakiya Market: timeskuwait.com
- Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority — Law No. 42 of 2014 regarding Environment Protection (English text): kdipa.gov.kw