Kuwait National Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun has presented a significant draft law aimed at stopping the appointment of expats in government positions, prioritising nationals for such roles, Kuwait Times reported.
According to Article 2 of the draft law, “public jobs are restricted only to nationals” unless there are no Kuwaitis available to fill a particular position.
This legislation also introduces strict limits on expat salaries and remuneration, ensuring they do not surpass the compensation of their local counterparts in similar roles.
One notable provision of the bill is a complete prohibition on the appointment of non-Kuwaiti employees through recruitment agencies, a move that aims to streamline the hiring process and promote transparency.
To address concerns of underrepresentation among national job seekers, the report said, the draft law mandates that government authorities advertise job vacancies on their websites, the Civil Service Commission website, and in two widely-circulated Arabic language newspapers.
Only if no qualified national candidates emerge can expats be considered for the positions.
Kuwait’s proposed expat employment reforms
Additionally, the proposed legislation specifies that employment contracts for expat workers should be limited to one year, with the possibility of renewal upon re-evaluation of the job’s availability to citizens.
These contracts would also exclude any form of allowances for expat workers.
Crucially, the bill emphasises its applicability to existing expat employees once their current contracts expire.
In the explanatory note accompanying the draft law, Speaker Al-Saadoun stressedon the importance of national security and employment opportunities for Kuwaiti citizens.
He said that while multiple draft laws have called for prioritising nationals in government positions, the continued appointment of expats, especially in sensitive roles, poses risks to national security and worsens unemployment among nationals.
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