Expat Public Sector Workers In Kuwait To Get The Chop By 2028

The Kuwaiti government is aiming to close off its public sector to expat workers by the year 2028.

In a report late last week, Kuwait’s ratings agency confirmed the government’s intent to rid the public sector of all expatriate workers by 2028, in addition to aiming for between 30 and 50 per cent Kuwaitization of the private sector. At the present time, expats working in the banking sector total 66 per cent, with the remaining sectors of manufacturing, industry and agriculture each accounting for just three per cent of the total number of expats employed.

The report also states Saudi Arabia and Oman as well as Kuwait are lagging behind in creating jobs for their nationals, predicting the emirates’ high local unemployment rate could well lead to added procedures aimed at banning expats from their labour markets. Should the GCC in general take this step, the report adds, low rates of production might well result. At the present time, Kuwaitis employed in public sector admin jobs total some 26,000 as against some 83,000 expatriates, with Kuwaitis now being given expats’ jobs. 6,000 local workers now employed in the private sector are being transferred to the public sector along with 2,000 newly graduated nationals.

At the same time, Kuwaiti MP Safa al Hashem is now calling for a ten year cap on expat visas along with disallowing expats from bring their families to the UAE, with the exception of parents. In addition, expats would be made responsible for their parents’ medical needs. However, the Kuwaiti parliament is being warned that getting rid of all foreign workers would cause major problems as there are too few skilled Kuwaiti nationals available to replace them.