Maids and drivers a basic necessity for most of Kuwaiti families

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‘There is no substitute for house helpers’

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 11: Domestic workers are among the basic necessities of daily life in Kuwait, as most families depend on them to carry out the housework and take care of children or the elderly and other matters. However, as a result of the repercussions of the COVID- 19 crisis during the recent times, there has been a great shortage in the numbers of domestic workers.

This is due to either the suspension of new recruitment’s, or because many of them traveled abroad on vacations and are not able to return, or because the recruitment offices have been closed as part of the precautionary measures imposed on most of the economic activities in the country, reports Al-Anba daily.

Investigative
During an investigative tour to obtain the opinions of a number of citizens regarding the possibility of living without domestic workers and exploring alternative solutions, they affirmed that it is not possible to live without domestic workers, and even thinking about an alternative plan is not on the table at the present time.

The citizens indicated that the current problem is a temporary one and will be solved when life returns to normal fully, adding that there are radical solutions that can be applied currently and in the future. In this regard, Khaled Al-Abdullah said, “We cannot do without domestic workers. In fact, it is possible to do without my wife but not the house help”.

As for an alternative plan, he said it is possible to spend one month’s salary on his children for the cleaning and organizing of their rooms, but it is a surprise that Kuwait has not yet opened doors for the recruitment of domestic workers compared to the rest of the Gulf countries where precautionary measures are being followed at all stages.

Abdullah highlighted that domestic workers also include drivers and those taking care of the elderly, stressing the fact that a large number of citizens depend on them for running their daily lives.

To add to this, Taher Al-Nasser said, “Domestic workers are the cornerstone of a home; there is no substitute for them, especially when it comes to taking care of the elderly and the sick. Who will be doing such duties when the children and wives are preoccupied with the daily demands of life?”

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