Kuwait is one of the few countries in the world where alcohol is not available. The topic is also confusing with people having different assumptions on what is legal and what isn’t. We all know it is illegal to sell alcohol but is it illegal to buy? Are we allowed to have alcohol for personal consumption? Is it illegal to make?
Article 206 of Kuwait Penal Law no.16 promulgated in 1960 states:
206(a) – Any person who brings, imports or manufactures alcoholic or intoxicating beverages for the purpose of trading shall be panelized for a period not exceeding 10 years.
The article doesn’t mention anything about purchasing alcohol but what about if you bring or manufacture alcohol for personal use? The article clearly states that you are only punished if it is “for the purpose of trading”. Lets read Article 206(b)
206(b) – However, if the intention of bringing, importing or manufacturing is not trading or promotion, the person shall be penalized with a fine not exceeding KD100 and should he repeat this act the penalty shall be for a period not more than six months and/or a fine of not more than KD100.
So I guess the first time you get alcohol into Kuwait for personal use you are fined only but the next time you can go to jail and/or fined. The same applies for manufacturing alcohol for personal consumption.
206(d) – Any person who takes alcoholic or intoxicating beverages to a public place or to a place where he may be seen by others be it a public place or a private club, and any person who brings the alcoholic or intoxicating beverage to the said place for another person to consume shall be penalized for a period not exceeding 6 months and/or fined not more than KD50.
Any person who is found drunk will be punished the same.
So the law abstains from mentioning much about personal consumption of alcohol so therefore it is not a crime to drink inside your private space (house/apartment) just as long as you don’t step outside if you are drunk.
Please be careful and stay legal people.
Post by Fajer Ahmed – Legal Counsel
The legal opinions expressed in this post are those of the author Fajer. Opinions expressed by Mark or any other writer on mark248am1.wpenginepowered.com are those of the individual’s and in no way reflect Fajer’s opinion.
26 replies on “Kuwait Law: The Alcohol Post”
say for instance if i get caught at airport getting one blue label bottle i will be fined but will they take the bottle or allow me to take it along ? And if they allow then also its still worth it 😀
Another facepalm moment
due try it and you will know.
dude try it and you will know.
I was really wondering about laws regarding mary jane, could that be the next post please?
Wait wait wait…. I can MAKE it if I drink it myself? Hmmmmmmm…..
You’re american right? Every American I know makes it themselves lol surprised you didn’t know
What about chocolates containing alcohol(from Dubai duty free)Is it illegal to bring them to Kuwait for personal consumption, of course one or two packs.
Customs don’t read ingredients. If its a bottle, it’s alcohol, if its anything else, they won’t give two sheets, but there was this one time they confiscated my poker coins I got from London, reason was they thought I was going to use it to gamble here in Kuwait.
A decade ago, A friend got alcoholic chocolates from Dubai. The customs officer smashed the chocaltes, and smiled, as alcohol dripped out. Luckily he let us go.
as long as you don’t get caught!! 😀
Thanks Fajer for clearing that out for us. The rule doesnt specifically say anything about having alcohol in your homes and drinkin it with friends.. as long as they dont step outside in an intoxicated state. Good to know!
“Any person who is found drunk will be punished the same.”
this means.. if the cops get a tip that you hold alcohol.. if they raid your house n they find you drunk… you will be punished..
P.S. i dont think the cops follow the law mentioned by Fajar… they will just deport the culprit.. (If he/She is from a south east asian country)
A police officer can’t “raid your house” without permission from the homeowner
I’ve heard that it wasn’t always taboo here. Why then this sudden change of heart?
Exactly 1979
And its not a sudden change of heart, just a sudden change of what TYPE of people were in political power. Very sad
Ms. Fajer,
Please check your email (around last week)
Tks 🙂
Here’s an interesting fact. It’s not a felony if you’re caught drinking Jacksen (no typo).
Kuwaiti citizens went mad when alcohol was banned in 1965.
TIME Magazine wrote this in 1965 after alcohol was banned in Kuwait:
A month ago the oil-rich sheikdom of Kuwait banned all liquor within its borders, and since then many of its thirsty citizens have been drinking everything in sight from perfume and eau de cologne to rubbing alcohol and Sterno — with predictably disastrous results. By last week, an estimated 150 Kuwaiti had died from alcohol poisoning, several hundred more had been blinded, and Kuwait’s hospitals were filled to overflowing. Bathtub gin is flourishing, and bootlegging the real thing has become Kuwait’s fastest growing business. A fifth of Dewar’s White Label Scotch now commands…
https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,940860,00.html#ixzz2iy5y3nZc
Does one need to drink to have (fun)!? 🙂
i have. 2 jack danies alcohol chocolates.. im in dubai and i want to take them to kuwait (they arr 2 small. peieces ) …will they catch me
most likely
Kuwait banned Alcohol purportedly because there were so many bad driving accidents.
And that as one would expect is entirely plausible given the standard of driving high powered cars and levels of testosterone.
However there is another reason which you may find difficult to believe given the present day wealth of Kuwait.
But that wasn’t the case in the 60’s prior to the OPEC oil price rise.
Kuwait was quite poor and about bankrupt and was bankrolled out by KSA.
The same thing in Sharjah were the ruler had a gambling problem and Abu Dhabi was tired of bailing him out.
Conditional was that both should go dry.
Now the trigger of the Saudi prohibition was that some ‘Prince’ at an embassy reception got drunk and shot the consul and his wife !
KSA is probably the largest market for Johnny Walker Black label in the world though !
I have fond memories of my time in Kuwait. We were proud of the ‘Flash’ we made. Never sold it, might trade it. It was good pure stuff going through the still 3 times for absolute purity. Pressure tested the still every year
Some got such a taste for it they even took a bottle home on vacation!
I do hope they are preserving something of ‘old’ Ahmadi though. I hear the Iraqis did a number on it.
my friend caught drunk wile drivung by police so they took him for a medical he found whisky in his blood this is the first time he drunk and caught so he can’t go his country so please tell me what to do now how can he will go back to his country now 2minths finished he is seating in room..please give me some idea
A friend of mine carried liqueur chocolates to Kuwait and was caught at the airport.
the cops asked for his passport and altho they threatened to write a report ,they didn’t do so.they kept the chocolates and let him go.
How do we know if his name is in the system or if there was a problem?