Kuwait Planning To Axe Three Thousand Expat Public Sector Jobs

According to recent reports, Kuwait is planning to axe 3,108 expat public sector jobs between now and March next year.

The high number of expected expat redundancies is in line with similar new laws in other UAE states, all of which target expat jobs in an effort to deal with local unemployment. In Kuwait, the purge of foreign workers in the public sector was first outlined by ministers in January this year and is now ready to go ahead. Terminations will start in July, with the aim of all public sector jobs being taken by Kuwaiti nationals by the year 2022. Around 78,439 expats are employed in government roles at present, with 31,362 in education, 2,931 in ministries and 34,789 in healthcare.

Replacing all foreigners by Kuwaiti citizens is expected to be completed over the next five years. One ministry is reported to have demanded several million dinars to cover the costs of end of service benefits for those about to lose their jobs, but government bodies and ministries will not receive any extra funds during the coming fiscal year as incentives and salaries of government workers are due for restructuring.

Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, ‘shop till you drop’ is about to acquire a new meaning via the introduction of online retail therapy. Two online sites will attempt to change the shopping habits of a generation in addition to targeting younger, tech-savvy fashionistas eager to get the coolest gear without traipsing through endless luxury malls. The launch of two online shopping sites by two rival companies is set to start a race for dominance in this brand new marketplace, with both convinced they’ll win out in the end.