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Kuwait published Decree-Law No. 92 of 2026 in the official gazette Kuwait Al Youm on Sunday, introducing multiple amendments to Law No. 32 of 1967 that governs the armed forces. The legislation raises the ceiling on certain disciplinary sanctions, shifts recruitment parameters into ministerial decisions and creates new mechanisms for leave and specialised contracting. These modifications take effect immediately upon publication and seek to align the statutory framework with current operational realities after nearly six decades.
The amended Article 23 now caps liberty-restricting disciplinary penalties at 90 days instead of the previous 60-day limit. An explanatory memorandum issued with the decree noted that the increase would enable authorities to apply sanctions proportionate to offence severity while preserving existing procedural protections and guarantees. The change forms part of a wider recalibration of the disciplinary regime first established in the 1967 statute.
Revised provisions in Article 32 transfer authority to the Minister of Defence to define admission ages for officers and associated health fitness criteria through separate decisions that can include exceptions. This replaces the former rigid specifications embedded directly in the law. According to the supporting memorandum the adjustment establishes a more adaptable legislative structure that simplifies future updates to meet evolving force needs.
Comparable authority now extends to non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel under the updated Article 40, unifying age and fitness rules across ranks under ministerial discretion. A fresh paragraph added to Article 5 authorises the army to enlist professionals and other specialised categories through special contracts regulated by decisions from the defence minister. The decree’s documentation indicated the provision addresses rising demand for technical expertise within the military establishment.
Parliamentary records show the original 1967 law has undergone limited revision over the intervening decades until this comprehensive package. The amendments also insert a new category of special leave into Article 82 that commanders may grant with full pay, reduced pay or no remuneration depending on circumstances. The government memorandum stated the measure would furnish military leadership with enhanced flexibility to balance personal needs against operational demands.
This decree follows earlier 2026 legislation that tightened compulsory national service registration and tied completion of duty to public and private sector employment according to previous Gulf News reporting on those measures. The defence minister is expected to issue implementing decisions that detail the new recruitment thresholds and contract templates. Kuwait Al Youm confirmed the full text of Decree-Law No. 92 of 2026 appears in its edition numbered 1809.
