Kuwait has introduced a nationwide daytime ban on delivery motorcycles during peak summer heat hours, expanding efforts to protect workers and manage rising pressure on public infrastructure as temperatures climb above 50°C.
The Interior Ministry’s General Traffic Department announced that delivery motorcycles will not be allowed to operate between 11am and 4pm daily from June 1 to August 31. Authorities said the restriction applies across the country and aligns with Kuwait’s annual midday outdoor work ban, which aims to reduce heat-related illnesses and workplace injuries during the harsh summer season.
Officials warned that delivery companies and riders violating the new rules would face traffic citations and penalties for breaching permit conditions.
The move reflects growing concern across Gulf countries over worker safety amid intensifying summer temperatures and increasingly demanding delivery economies. Kuwait has in recent years strengthened enforcement of heat protection measures while expanding awareness campaigns targeting employers and outdoor workers.
Alongside the delivery restrictions, Kuwait has also reduced working hours across government entities from seven hours to six hours a day during the summer months.
The Civil Service Council approved the temporary measure as part of a broader government strategy to reduce electricity consumption and ease pressure on the national power grid during peak demand hours between 11am and 5pm.
According to local reports, factories have also begun scaling back production operations during peak periods to help stabilise electricity loads. The reduced government working schedule is expected to remain in place for three months, while authorities finalise implementation procedures.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said the country continues to implement measures aimed at rationalising electricity and water consumption amid surging temperatures and increased utility demand.
The latest measures mirror a broader regional trend as Gulf governments tighten regulations around delivery riders and outdoor work conditions.
In the UAE, Abu Dhabi introduced restrictions from May 15 banning delivery motorcycles from using roads with speed limits of 120 km/h or higher, including parts of Sheikh Zayed Street. Authorities said the decision was aimed at improving traffic safety, reducing risks for riders and motorists, and easing congestion on major transport corridors.
Oman has also moved to restrict food delivery motorcycles from using key roads. The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology directed riders to use secondary roads and designated routes after raising concerns over speeding and traffic violations by delivery drivers on main highways.
The coordinated measures across Gulf states underline growing pressure on governments to balance rapid growth in delivery services with worker welfare, public safety, and infrastructure sustainability during increasingly extreme summer conditions.