Manama: Kuwait has dismissed reports that expatriate staffers were representing Kuwait on official missions abroad.
“All staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including diplomats and administrative personnel, are Kuwaiti citizens and they are the ones tasked with missions abroad,” a ministry official was quoted as saying.
The official said there are only two non-Kuwaitis working at the ministry—both are Arab and work as legal consultants.
The statement was released after confusion arose over the answers of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Sabah Al Khalid in response to a lawmaker’s question.
Kuwait is currently witnessing a nationalisation drive, spearheaded by lawmakers, to replace expatriates in public places with Kuwaitis in a bid to reduce reliance on foreigners and to boost the employment of locals.
Foreigners make up two thirds of the total population in the northern Arabian Gulf state and several MPs are pushing for solutions to address the demographic imbalance.
