KUWAIT CITY, Aug 27: A government report has revealed that the percentage of Kuwaiti nationals working in the public sector has risen from 74 percent to 80 percent between 2010 and 2024. Meanwhile, the share of expatriate workers in the same sector dropped from 26 percent to 20 percent.

The report, seen by Al-Seyassah, attributes this decline to the government’s ongoing Kuwaitization plan -- to replace expatriate workers with citizens -- a process that began in 2018 since the Civil Service Commission has been tasked to achieve full Kuwaitization in government jobs. However, the report also highlights a decline in productivity levels, indicating a weakness in the economic performance of workers.

Regarding demographics, the report notes that Kuwait continues to face an imbalance, with citizens making up only 30 percent of the total population, while expatriates account for 70 percent. Despite significant reform efforts by the government -- including the introduction of the “Smart Worker ID,” the launch of the biometric fingerprint system, and various new strict measures to eliminate fake companies and celebrate Kuwaitization – the structural issues in the labor market persist. The report also points to ongoing efforts to expand recruitment from new countries that supply skilled labor.

By Mohammad Ghanem
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff