Are You On The List? Kuwait Issues Over 69,000 Travel Bans In Just One Year

Arab Times

5 days ago

KUWAIT CITY, July 21: The number of judicial enforcement procedures carried out across Kuwait saw a dramatic rise in 2024, with nearly 10.3 million actions completed, a staggering 22% increase compared to the previous year, according to a new report from the Ministry of Justice. The figures, published in the ministry's annual statistical book and prepared by the Statistics and Research Department, reveal a significant uptick in activity by the General Administration of Enforcement, which is tasked with executing court rulings and preserving public funds across the country's various governorates.
Travel Bans and Detentions on the Rise
Among the most notable increases were procedures related to travel bans and detention orders, which soared to 182,255 cases in 2024, up by 18.5% from 153,784 in 2023. Of these, 69,654 were travel bans, representing 38.2% of all enforcement actions, while 51,420 travel bans were lifted, making up 28.2%.
The spike comes amid growing efforts by Kuwaiti authorities to tighten enforcement and ensure compliance with court judgments, especially in cases involving debt and financial disputes.
Enforcement of Final Court Judgments Nearly Doubles
The number of files fully executed jumped by more than 70%, rising from 43,427 in 2023 to 73,935 in 2024 — a clear sign that Kuwait's judiciary is accelerating its efforts to deliver justice efficiently and ensure that legal rights are upheld.
Monitoring of Criminal Judgments Sees 105% Surge
In a further indication of increased judicial oversight, the monitoring of criminal judgments and court rulings more than doubled, climbing from 1.29 million procedures in 2023 to over 2.65 million in 2024 — a 105.1% increase.
Officials attributed this jump to a rise in the number of rulings across multiple court sections, reflecting a broader crackdown on criminal activities and legal violations.
Interpol and Complaints Department Activity Also Rises
The report also highlights a 4.1% increase in criminal information monitoring procedures, growing from 549,323 to 571,752. The uptick was largely fueled by a 19.5% increase in operations within the Interpol Division and a 19.3% rise in the Complaints Department.
However, not all departments saw gains — the Criminal Information Department recorded a slight 0.5% decrease in procedures compared to last year.
The surge in judicial activity signals Kuwait's intensifying efforts to uphold the rule of law, protect public funds, and enforce court decisions through enhanced technological systems and inter-agency coordination.