Law & Regulation
Public Procurement Law
96 articles across 11 chapters, governing procurement of goods, works and services by Kuwaiti government entities via the Central Agency for Public Tenders (CAPT), covering tenders above KD 75,000. Decree-Law No. (94) of 2026, published in Kuwait Alyoum on 27 September 2026, materially amends this Law — raising the CAPT pre-approval threshold to KD 1 million, raising the KPC procurement threshold to KD 20 million, prohibiting local agents/commission agents, introducing SME bid preference and mandatory local-content requirements (foreign winners must award at least 30% of contract work to local contractors), and establishing a Cabinet-level grievance committee. Decree-Law 94/2026 itself comes into force approximately three months after its publication (around late December 2026) — as of this record's last-verified date, the amendment has been enacted and published but is not yet in force; the Law's own long-standing provisions remain fully in force throughout.
Legal Significance
What This Instrument Does
Governs general government procurement procedures, tender publication, bid evaluation and contractor classification in Kuwait.
Why It Matters
The general procurement gateway for public infrastructure contracts in Kuwait, distinct from the PPP Law above; the pending 2026 amendment directly affects local-content obligations for foreign infrastructure contractors.
Legal Framework Position
- Public ProcurementPrimary / Framework Instrument
Instrument Overview
- Official Citation
- Law No. (49) of 2016
- Instrument Type
- Law / Act
- Last Verified
- 30 September 2026
Official Source
View official source ↗Recent Developments
- Regulatory · 27 September 2026Kuwait Cabinet approves and gazettes Decree-Law 94/2026 amending the Public Tenders Law
Decree-Law No. 94 of 2026, published in the official gazette Kuwait Alyoum on 27 September 2026, amends Law No. 49 of 2016 on public tenders — raising procurement thresholds, prohibiting local agents, introducing SME bid preference and local-content requirements, and establishing a Cabinet-level grievance committee. The amendment itself comes into force approximately three months after publication.