Kuwait launches crackdown on hotels over consumer rights violations

Kuwait City: Kuwait’s Commercial Control Department has stepped up enforcement against hotels found violating consumer rights and service quality regulations.

In a press statement, Faisal Al-Ansari, Director of the Commercial Control Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said inspection campaigns targeting tourist and hotel establishments identified 17 violations.

He said the violations ranged from refusal to provide goods or services to issuing invoices in languages other than Arabic, as well as the failure to display clear and approved price lists for services.

Al-Ansari said inspection teams handled the violations in line with established legal procedures.

The inspections are part of a broader strategy to regulate the tourism sector and ensure hotel establishments comply with laws aimed at protecting consumer rights and improving service standards, in coordination with relevant government bodies.

The inspection drive was carried out under the mandate of a committee established last November to classify tourist and hotel establishments and oversee service quality.

The committee is tasked with developing a structured inspection mechanism, documenting violations, monitoring compliance with approved hospitality and quality standards, and organising inspection visits according to a fixed schedule to avoid duplication or randomness.

It also proposes corrective measures for recurring violations, monitors negative practices, coordinates with relevant government agencies, and submits periodic reports to the competent authorities.

Al-Ansari emphasised the ministry’s preference for corrective action over immediate penalties, noting that hotel managements involved have been directed to fully comply with all applicable regulations and decisions.