Kuwait bans renewal for expat advisers above 60 years
Source: Their last working day set for March 31
Cairo: The Kuwaiti government has decided not to renew contracts of all expatriate advisers who are 60 years old and above at state institutions, according to a Kuwaiti newspaper, as part of efforts to provide jobs for Kuwaitis.
Al Qabas quoted a government source as saying that the Civil Service Commission, Kuwait's state employment agency, has decided that the last working day of those advisers at state bodies will be March 31 next year.
"There are no exceptions in terms or rewards. All is on hold at present," the source said without giving details. There was no immediate official comment.
In recent years, Kuwait has intensified efforts to create jobs for its citizens, replace foreign employees, and address the demographic imbalance in the country.
Foreigners currently constitute 3.3 million of Kuwait's 4.9 million population. Recent official figures have shown that the numbers of expatriates in Kuwait have dropped by 8,845 at the end of June compared to January.
Earlier this year, a Kuwaiti media report disclosed that 1,211 jobs in Kuwait’s oil sector are planned to be filled by Kuwaitis in 2024.
An employment policy for Kuwaitis, dubbed “Kuwaitisation” entails 1,211 jobs in the state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and its subsidiaries, Al Anba newspaper reported.
The biggest share of those jobs are at the Kuwait Oil Company with 629, followed by the Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company with 507, the report said.
Kuwait boasts a public sector workforce of around 483,200, with foreigners making up 23% of this total – the highest proportion among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Kuwait has recently toughened measures against illegal foreign residents and warned that any expatriate covering up an unlawful resident will be deported too.