Kuwait City: Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has introduced stricter regulations for companies renting out cars and motorcycles, making comprehensive insurance, bilingual rental contracts and enhanced safety measures mandatory.
The new regulations were issued by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef as part of efforts to strengthen road safety and improve oversight of the vehicle rental sector.
Under the new rules, all rental agreements must be prepared in both Arabic and English, clearly outlining the rights and responsibilities of both the vehicle owner and the customer. Rental companies must also maintain digital records containing the renter’s name, nationality, address and driving licence details, and provide them to traffic authorities upon request.
As part of the new safety requirements, chauffeur-driven rental vehicles must be equipped with interior cameras, with recorded footage securely stored and made available to authorities when required.
The regulations also introduce maximum service life limits for rental vehicles:
Motorcycles: Up to 6 years
Private cars: Up to 8 years
Large buses and trucks: Up to 15 years
In addition, every rental vehicle must carry valid comprehensive insurance, which must remain active throughout the licence period and be renewed annually. Vehicle ownership documents must also clearly identify the vehicle as being used for rental purposes.
Existing rental companies have been given three months to comply with the new regulations, which will take full effect after publication in Kuwait’s Official Gazette.
