KPC launches major Kuwaitization drive; To roll out new job promotion system

The initiative comes as part of KPC’s strategy to boost national oil production capacity to four million barrels per day by 2035 and sustain it until 2040. It also ties into ongoing developments such as operations at the Durra field and new exploration at the Matarba site. 

Subsidiaries have been directed to significantly raise Kuwaitization rates, while contractors have been instructed to fully enforce provisions safeguarding the rights of Kuwaitis employed in the private oil sector. 

Sources noted that a high-level meeting, chaired by KPC CEO Sheikh Nawaf Al-Saud Al-Sabah and HR & Comprehensive Services MD Hisham Al-Rifai, with representatives from the Petroleum Workers Union led by Saud Al-Mutairi and Abbas Awad, reached several key decisions. 

And some of the decisions included – increasing hiring rates to accommodate diploma holders and engineers who have passed sector exams, and accelerating the rollout of the new phased promotion system across oil companies. 

The meeting also addressed expediting status adjustment tests for eligible employees and the transfer of gas plant workers at KOTC. Sheikh Nawaf affirmed KPC’s full readiness and support in driving these efforts. In parallel, KPC has announced new job openings for Kuwaitis with a Bachelor’s degree in Law (Anglo-Saxon legal system). 

Applicants must provide their civil ID and nationality certificate via the Sahel app, with a minimum GPA requirement of 2.67/4 (80%) or “Very Good” standing as per Ministry of Higher Education equivalency lists up to September 18, 2025. 

With this drive, KPC is signaling a renewed commitment to strengthening national cadres across specializations and revitalizing its workforce to meet future sector demands. 

KPC has long driven Kuwaitization across the oil and gas sector, aiming for a 100% local workforce in key roles such as engineering and technical positions. Alongside its core policy, 

KPC introduced the Manpower Contractors Kuwaitization Initiative in 2002 to secure fair wages, benefits, and job continuity for Kuwaitis. More recently, Strategy 2040 has reinforced the push, embedding national talent at the heart of the industry’s future.