Incorporate a Kuwait WLL through MOCI and the Kuwait Business Center
We pick the right vehicle, model the 49% foreign ownership cap, draft the memorandum with protective clauses, file through MOCI's one stop shop, and then register the company for tax, PIFSS and manpower files.
KWD 1,200One time
For: Foreign investors with a Kuwaiti partner, Kuwaiti and GCC founders, expatriate professionals partnering with Kuwaitis, and Indian SMEs entering Kuwait.
What we need from you
Passports and civil IDs of partners
Identity
Kuwaiti partner details if foreign owned
49% cap
Proposed trade names
Name approval
Activities
Licence type and approvals
Capital and share split
Memorandum
Office lease
Licence address
Corporate partner documents, legalised
Foreign corporate partner
What we discuss
Do you need more than 49% foreign ownership?
If yes, consider a KDIPA licence (KW-SET-02)
How will control be protected with a Kuwaiti partner?
Memorandum clauses and side agreements
Will you work for government clients?
Retention and tax clearance rules apply
Will the foreign share make the company taxable?
Income tax applies to the foreign ownership share
Visas for foreign partners and staff?
Manpower and residency files follow the licence
What we file
Name approval and activity selection
Sign the memorandum before the notary
Commercial registration and licence
Tax registration and tax card if foreign owned
Example: 40% foreign share of KWD 100,000 profit = KWD 40,000 taxable x 15% = KWD 6,000
What you get
Commercial registration and licence
Post setup checklist
The law
- Companies Law No. 1 of 2016 (as amended, including Decree-Law 106 of 2024): Governs company forms, WLL partner meetings, accounts and liquidation; Decree-Law 106 of 2024 eased WLL extraordinary meeting quorums Source
- Commercial Code ownership rule and Law No. 1 of 2024: Foreign ownership of a Kuwaiti company is generally capped at 49%; Law 1 of 2024 on dropping the local agent rule is not yet in practical effect Source
- Law No. 116 of 2013 on the promotion of direct investment (KDIPA): KDIPA can licence up to 100% foreign owned entities and grant incentives including tax relief, outside the general 49% limit Source
Questions people ask
- Foreign ownership limit in a Kuwait WLL
- Income tax on a foreign partner's share of a Kuwait WLL
- Protecting a minority foreign partner in a Kuwait WLL
- Using the Kuwait Business Center to set up
- Doing business in Kuwait without a local agent
- Tax registration after forming a Kuwait company
- Kuwaiti or GCC owned company and income tax
- Activities that need extra approvals in Kuwait
- Government contracts and a new Kuwait company
- Choosing between a WLL and a KDIPA entity
Contact us to book
Online payment in KWD is not open yet. Send us a message and an adviser for Kuwait confirms the scope and the fee before any work starts.