This is really good news for anyone looking to open a business in Kuwait or currently pays rent on an office that they never use. Yesterday the Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced that it is no longer required for businesses to have an office if they don’t have employees.
Previously if you wanted to get a business license you had to have an office even if you didn’t need one. So what people would do is rent out cheap 250-300KD offices in basements of dodgy complexes in Hawalli and other cheap neighborhoods which they would never use or even visit. People had to pay thousands on rent just so they could have a business license. With the new rule, the home address can be used to obtain a license.
This is going to help out a lot of people and encourage a lot of new businesses to open in Kuwait.
10 replies on “Offices No Longer Needed for a Business License”
“that it is no longer required for businesses to have an office if they don’t *need* employees *or a commercial store or the approval of other governmental entities*.
I am not sure whether the “or” in the official decision means you have to tick all three or if you just need to comply with one of the three.
That office desk photo looks beautiful!
Thanks, not sure who to credit midjourney or myself lol
That’s generated by Midjourney?!
Just noticed the odd shadow / reflection on the wall – that gives away that its AI generated.
Wow!
Yeah midjourney, asked it for a 4x4m empty office with a desk and nothing on it and a view of Kuwait outside the Window. But I added the Kuwait Towers in the background in photoshop afterwards to help localize it even more.
Its a smart move as most of us who have local licenses actually never use the office. It was a waste of time & money. I do all my meetings in coffee shops, in hotel lobbies or in another country.
Same here … total waste of time and money, most of the time we work remotely … from home or cafes etc., and visit office once a week or 2 weeks
I checked on this and what I have understood is that this rule was always in place. But it was applicable to 100 percent Kuwaiti owned businesses and also in certain trade activities. If you have an expat partner or your specific trade activity requires you to have a lease contract then there is no choice but to rent a space. Is this new rule that is now applicable for expat partnered companies and all trade activities?
saw an ad on FB today along similar lines which was inviting businessmen/women to Saudi to open up businesses where neither an office, nor physical presence is required…. Kuwait has to play catch up big time if the country has to attract new business and more importantly retain existing business.
Can a expat do this ?