Kuwait’s Ministry of Social Affairs has given cooperative societies across the country 30 days to end the employment of staff aged 70 and above, as part of a wider push to accelerate workforce nationalisation and create more opportunities for Kuwaiti nationals.
The directive was issued by the ministry’s Financial and Administrative Affairs and Cooperative Affairs Sector and requires cooperative societies and unions to identify employees aged over 70 and take the necessary steps to terminate their services in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Affected employees must receive their full legal financial and employment entitlements, including end-of-service indemnities, the ministry said.
Cooperative societies have been instructed to submit a list of employees whose services have been terminated within 30 days of the circular’s issuance.
The measure forms part of Kuwait’s broader Kuwaitization strategy, with the ministry seeking to increase the participation of Kuwaiti nationals in supervisory and support positions within the cooperative sector.
The ministry said the move would open vacancies for qualified young Kuwaitis while helping restructure staffing arrangements across cooperative societies.
The directive also comes amid efforts to improve governance and transparency within the sector. According to ministry sources, some appointments made by cooperative boards in previous years were allegedly influenced by electoral considerations or personal relationships.
The latest measure is intended to support greater fairness and equal employment opportunities while strengthening the efficiency and sustainability of Kuwait’s cooperative societies.
The ministry said the directive is part of ongoing reforms aimed at improving governance within the cooperative sector and supporting national workforce policies.
The decision places the focus on both workforce renewal and the wider restructuring of Kuwait’s cooperative sector, as authorities seek to create more employment opportunities for Kuwaiti nationals while ensuring that existing employees affected by the policy receive their legally mandated dues.