Kuwait set to trim bloated expat population

in 

Kuwait

Kuwait has plans to drastically trim the amount of expats living and working in the country over the next five years according to reports from Kuwait newspapers.

While this may seem like a bold move, it is not surprising when you look at the figures- at the moment expats make up around 70 percent of Kuwait’s entire population, vastly outnumbering the Kuwait natives.

This demographical imbalance is at the heart of the plans, and Kuwait’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr Mohammad Al-Afasi, has said that the expat population should be reduced to around 34 percent. The plan is to reorganise the process by which expatriate workers are recruited, and to give more jobs to native Kuwait workers. Speaking to UAE paper Daily, Mr Al-Afasi said: “The amendments are required to prevent further increase to the current demographical imbalance.”

Apparently recent times have seen around 15,000 expats entering Kuwait with commercial visas, which they then converted into work permits. This type of conversion has already been stopped by the Ministry.

However, despite the plans to change, the move will not affect the expats who are already in Kuwait.