KUWAIT CITY, May 16: Per a recent report published in Al-Jarida, titled "Signing the Ethiopian Domestic Workers Memorandum at the end of this month," Abdulaziz Al-Ali, Director General and Advisor of the Union of Owners of Domestic Workers Recruitment Offices, has confirmed that a Kuwaiti government delegation, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the General Authority for Manpower, will travel to Ethiopia to finalize a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the recruitment and utilization of domestic workers. The MoU signing ceremony is scheduled for the 28th of this month.

Al-Ali elaborated, stating, "Upon completion of all necessary procedures between the two governments and the official announcement of the MoU, a delegation from our Union will visit Addis Ababa to conduct a series of meetings with their counterparts to facilitate the recruitment process." This includes the establishment of initial contracts known as "job orders" to regulate recruitment controls and procedures.

The terms outlined in the memorandum are by Kuwaiti Law No. (68/2015) concerning domestic workers, covering aspects such as monthly salary, end-of-service benefits, weekly and annual leaves, and other entitlements.

Moreover, Al-Ali emphasized that recruitment of Ethiopian domestic workers will now be exclusively facilitated through the Ministry of Labor and its online system to ensure efficiency and prevent previous issues. The Ministry will allocate workers to authorized recruitment offices for local access by citizens and residents.

He highlighted that the MoU introduces several new provisions, including mandatory training for workers lasting 21 days conducted by the Ministry of Labor in Ethiopia, focusing on Kuwaiti law, societal norms, and English language proficiency. Workers displaying any hostile behavior during training will be excluded from Kuwait.

This initiative aims to address labor shortages in Kuwait, particularly following restrictions on new visas for Filipino workers. Al-Ali concluded that post-MoU signing, a delegation from the Union will further engage with Ethiopian counterparts to finalize recruitment arrangements, marking a significant step towards filling labor gaps in Kuwait's market.