It's Official: New Kuwait Law Requires CCTV Recordings to Be Kept for 120 Days

KUWAIT CITY, July 29: Kuwait has amended its law regulating security cameras and surveillance systems, requiring establishments covered under the legislation to retain CCTV recordings for at least 120 consecutive days, according to a new decree-law published in the Official Gazette Kuwait Alyoum on Wednesday.

Decree Law No. 76 of 2026 amends provisions of Law No. 61 of 2015 governing the installation and regulation of security cameras and monitoring devices. Under the revised law, businesses and establishments subject to its provisions are prohibited from altering, deleting, erasing, or processing surveillance recordings by any means during the 120-day retention period.

According to the explanatory memorandum, the amendments were introduced to address shortcomings in the existing law after practical experience showed that the previous retention period was often insufficient, particularly in cases where victims delayed reporting incidents due to the nature or circumstances of an event.

The revised Article 5 extends the mandatory storage period to ensure investigators and courts can access surveillance footage when required. Under Article 6, establishments must provide relevant recordings upon the order of investigative authorities or a competent court.

The memorandum said the longer retention period is intended to simplify access to CCTV evidence when needed while ensuring that storage requirements are proportionate to the nature of each establishment's activities.

The decree also introduces two new provisions.

Under Article 8 bis, the General Directorate of Security Systems is empowered to approve or reject settlement requests submitted by owners of establishments that violate the law. Applications must be filed within seven working days from the date a violation report is issued, allowing violators to rectify the breach within 30 days, except in cases involving violations of Articles 6 and 9. Once a settlement is approved, the related criminal case against the violator is terminated.

The newly added Article 8 bis (1) establishes the civil liability of establishment owners, requiring them to pay the approved settlement amount for damages resulting from non-compliance with the law after the competent authority accepts the settlement.

The amendments aim to strengthen compliance with surveillance regulations, improve access to evidence during criminal investigations, and enhance public safety across Kuwait.