Kuwait has been put in its ‘grey list’ by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). This decision was taken after a major meeting held from 11 to 13 February 2026 in Mexico City. Coming in this list means that now Kuwait’s banking system and money transactions will be closely monitored by the world. Along with Kuwait, Papua New Guinea has also been included in this list.
👉: Returned to India after living in Dubai for 10 years, described life without debt and serving parents as real peace.
Why was Kuwait put in the gray list and what does it mean?
FATF is an organization that keeps an eye on illegal activities like money laundering and terror funding around the world. Putting Kuwait in the ‘grey list’ does not mean that there are any restrictions on it, but it means that the country needs to further improve its banking rules. The Kuwait government has assured that they have already made 95 percent of the necessary reforms and the remaining work will also be completed soon.
What will be the impact on the general public and migrants?
This news is very important for millions of Indians and other expatriates living in Kuwait. Although this will not have any direct impact on daily life, some changes related to banking may be seen:
Remittance: Now banks can ask for more information than before when sending money to India or any other country.
Transactions: It may take longer than before to send or receive money abroad.
Banking Fees: Banks may increase their fees marginally due to more paperwork and scrutiny.
Verification: Banks will now examine the source of income more closely.
Key information for the coming times
The Kuwait government will now work on a special action plan so that it can get out of this list as soon as possible. This includes clarifying beneficial ownership information and strengthening reporting of suspicious transactions.
Information Description Effective date 13 February 2026 Type of list Gray List (enhanced monitoring) Main institution FATF and MENAFATF representative Dr. Subih Al-Mukhaizem
