Kuwait · Government
Government and administration in Kuwait
How the executive, legislature and administrative state are organised, and which body is responsible for what.
The three branches
- Head of state — Emir
- Hereditary within the Al Sabah family; appoints the Prime Minister.
- Executive — Council of Ministers
- Exercises legislative power by decree during the current suspension.
- Legislative — National Assembly
- Fifty elected members; dissolved in May 2024 with the relevant articles suspended.
- Judicial governance — Supreme Judicial Council
- Appointments, promotion and discipline of judges.
- Audit — State Audit Bureau
- Reports on public expenditure; historically reported to the Assembly.
How legislation is made
Under the constitution as designed, bills passed by the National Assembly required Emiri sanction, and the Emir could return a bill for reconsideration which the Assembly could override by a two-thirds majority. With the Assembly dissolved and the relevant articles suspended since May 2024, legislation is made by Emiri decree on the proposal of the Council of Ministers and published in the Official Gazette (Kuwait Al-Youm).
Enforcement institutions
- Public Prosecution
- Directs criminal investigation; part of the judicial branch.
- Central Bank of Kuwait
- Banking supervision and anti-money-laundering.
- Capital Markets Authority
- Securities regulation and market conduct.
- Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha)
- Asset declarations and corruption investigation.
- Public Authority for Manpower
- Labour inspection and employment dispute conciliation.
Government bodies and regulators
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