Media: Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are provided for by articles 36 and 37 of the Constitution. In practice, the media are often censored and prosecuted for reporting prohibited religious and political topics. Nevertheless, the Bertelsmann Foundation 2010 describes that journalists in Kuwait are among the most free and outspoken in the region. All newspaper publishers are required to obtain licences from the Ministry of Information (MOI), and the MOI screens all imported media for morally offensive content, and all publication and distribution of informational materials are controlled by the MOI. According to Freedom House 2010, the print media express diversity of opinion and are more critical of the government than other Arab countries; however self-censorship is still practised in order to avoid conflict with the government. The government owns the majority of broadcasters, but the government has started giving licences to private television. It is alleged that the royal family in Kuwait is trying to take financial control of some media outlets, as reported by the Bertelsmann Foundation 2010. According to Freedom House 2010, the government monitors the internet, and sometimes blocks access to websites that seem to ‘incite terrorism and instability’. In 2009, a new internet censorship law was proposed, and it is believed that it may have stricter control on websites and blogs. However, according to Freedom House 2010, no further action had been taken on the measures yet. Freedom House 2010 ranks the country 115th out of 196 countries and Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2010 ranks Kuwait 87th out of 178 countries.

Civil Society: Freedom of assembly and association are provided by law; however, the government limits those freedoms in practice. According to the Bertelsmann Foundation 2010, civil society does not have a long tradition in Kuwait and it is still politically marginalised. Obtaining a licence to organise a CSO can be time consuming and Global Integrity 2008 reports that applicants need to have connections with decision makers in order to obtain a licence. As a consequence many NGOs are forced to operate without legal standing and funding. According to the US Department of State 2009, there were dozens of unlicensed and unofficial CSOs and NGOs in Kuwait. The Law 24/1962 (Article 6) prohibits licensed CSOs from engaging in political activities and CSOs are hesitant to take position on political issues. Furthermore, members of licensed NGOs are required to obtain permission from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MOSAL) in order to attend international conferences.

Kuwait Economic Society (KES): Founded in 1970, KES is an independent NGO built on the fundamental principle that the key to sustainable economic development rests on partnership between important bodies, such as the civil society, private sector, government and parliament. Some of the major focuses of KES are: promoting economic growth and reform of Kuwait’s economy, improving transparency and curbing corruption within public institutions. KES publishes public surveys and economic reviews on its website, however, some of them are only available in Arabic.

Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS, in Arabic): KTS has been a local partner of Transparency International since 2005 and was recognised as National Contact in January 2007. The organisation has been granted National Chapter in Formation (NCIF) status in 2008. KTS is the only CSO that was granted a licence from the Kuwait government. In 2009, TI Kuwait started a political media campaign titled 'No Development with Corruption'. The campaign will continue until the promised anti-corruption laws are passed. They will work to make the anti-corruption laws among the top priorities for the government. They called for all concerned organisations as well as parliamentarians to take part in the planned campaign in order to counter corruption.