Kuwait revamps policy for hiring foreign workers in tech roles

To improve the labour market in Kuwait, a committee composed of the Public Authority for Manpower, along with governmental and private authorities, has established new rules for hiring foreign workers in specific technical roles, including those in medicine, engineering, law, education, accounting, and finance.

Foreign workers seeking job opportunities in Kuwait will be issued new work permits only after passing an online professional proficiency test and having their academic and work experience (at least three to five years) background checks fully verified by official authorities and Kuwaiti embassies overseas.

These new rules aim to resolve recruitment challenges by creating a better business environment and reducing visa trading for private sector employers. Additionally, upon approval by relevant authorities, the new recruitment guidelines, including residency visa regulations in Kuwait, will apply to all recruiters, regardless of nationality, and are set to be implemented in the next few years. The committee is also conducting thorough assessments to analyse labour market needs, considering all nationalities eligible to work in the country.

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The authority has streamlined the process of transferring foreign workers between employers with recent regulations on hiring expatriates. This reform allows companies to recruit all required workers directly from overseas, eliminating the need for internal transfers.

According to a report by Kuwait's Central Statistical Bureau, the total workforce participation rate of expatriates in the region is 78.7 per cent. And now the labour force includes 25 per cent Indian nationals, 22.4 per cent Egyptian nationals, 8.4 per cent Bangladeshi nationals, 3.7 per cent Pakistani nationals, and a significant share of Nepali expatriates. Over the last 12 months, there has been a notable increase in the participation of both expatriate workers and Kuwaiti nationals in the workforce.