of exported goods: fuels
2024, latest available figureComposition of merchandise exports — World BankHome / Jurisdictions / Kuwait
Country file
Kuwait
The country's exports are dominated by raw materials and energy. The population is largely connected and hosting there is shared between local and foreign providers. Regional benchmarks: Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Relationship with the European Union
Free trade agreement with the European Union — negotiations suspended since 2008
No preferential arrangement applies. Trade falls under the common tariff, sometimes eased by preferences that the Union grants unilaterally and can withdraw. Security, however, is demonstrated case by case.
Sources reviewed on 17 September 2026
of exported goods: manufactured goods
2024, latest available figureComposition of merchandise exports — World Bankof manufactured exports are high-technology products
2024, latest available figureHigh-technology exports — World Bank01
Economy and sectors
Negotiations suspended
Free trade agreement with the European Union
negotiations suspended since 2008No preferential arrangement applies. Trade falls under the common tariff, sometimes eased by preferences that the Union grants unilaterally and can withdraw. Security, however, is demonstrated case by case.
Map of trade agreements — European CommissionThird country
regime applicable to European data and access
European framework trackedNo general adequacy decision. The transfer mechanism and its accompanying measures must be chosen according to the actual data flows.
Adequacy decisions — European Commission100%
of the population uses the Internet
2025, latest available figure
Internet use — World Bank / ITUNo country regime
European Union restrictive measures targeting the country
EU Sanctions Map, as at 26 September 2026No EU restrictive measures regime targets this country. Thematic regimes — terrorism, human rights, cyberattacks, chemical weapons — nonetheless target individuals of any nationality: screening against the consolidated list applies here as elsewhere.
EU Sanctions Map — European Commission02
Incidents, fraud and impersonation
384
secure servers per million inhabitants
2024, latest available figureHosting there may be local or foreign. Ask where your data actually resides, and who holds the keys to it.
Secure Internet servers — World BankUnforeseen intermediary
identification of the parties to the transaction
Cross-cutting controlExtraction chains involve numerous intermediaries. Identify who invoices, who ships and who is accountable in the event of an incident, before the question arises.
03
Points to check within your organisation
What the service actually covers
An extraction-based economy tells you little about the provider you are assessing. Have them specify what is supplied, by which entity, and with what technical resources of their own.
The small amount of data that flows, and its framework
Without an adequacy decision, the volume transferred matters less than its nature: contracts, contact details and access logs are enough to trigger the obligation. Ask which transfer tool is used and what its scope covers.
The country behind each environment
Hosting may be local or overseas, and often both depending on the environment. Ask for the real picture: production, staging, backups, logs.
Developments to be aware of
The topics that may change your answers
EU restrictive measures
No EU restrictive measures regime targets this country. Thematic regimes — terrorism, human rights, cyberattacks, chemical weapons — nonetheless target individuals of any nationality: screening against the consolidated list applies here as elsewhere.
EU–Kuwait relationship
No preferential arrangement applies. Trade falls under the common tariff, sometimes eased by preferences that the Union grants unilaterally and can withdraw. Security, however, is demonstrated case by case.
Data transfers
No general adequacy decision. The transfer mechanism and its accompanying measures must be chosen according to the actual data flows.
Export fabric
Export shares retain their year and definition. A missing series remains visible rather than being filled in.
Fuels: 90.7% of exported goods. This structure sheds light on an economy, not on a supplier's maturity: a software vendor or a local service centre must be qualified on its own evidence.
Official sources
- Trade relations by country — European Commission
- Map of trade agreements — European Commission
- Composition of merchandise exports — World Bank
- High-technology exports — World Bank
- Adequacy decisions — European Commission
- Internet use — World Bank / ITU
- Secure Internet servers — World Bank
- EU Sanctions Map — European Commission
- EU Consolidated Financial Sanctions List — European Commission
Confidential exchange
Describe your European relationship and the request received.
The Kuwait file establishes a country and its relationship with the Union. What remains is to establish exactly what the service covers, and what resources of its own are engaged there.