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KUWAIT CITY: The Kuwaiti government has implemented a one-year amendment to its foreign worker recruitment policy, effective June 1st, 2024. This amendment temporarily lifts restrictions on the number of foreign workers private companies can hire under the “Number 18” visa category.

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Aseel Al-Maseet, head of the Kuwait Human Resource Committee, announced the change in a press release, citing the need to address current labor market demands. Ms. Al-Maseet emphasized that the relaxed policy is temporary. After a year, the previous law, which prioritizes filling positions with existing residents and restricts the number of new female workers, will be reinstated.

Key Provisions of the Amendment:

• Private companies can now recruit an unlimited number of foreign workers (excluding domestic workers) under the “Number 18” visa category.
• The recruitment process will be conduct solely through the government’s online platform, Sahel.
• Work permits will be issue for all positions within the scope of the amendment.

Domestic workers are not include in this temporary policy.

This one-year experiment with open foreign worker recruitment represents a significant shift in Kuwait’s labor market strategy. The move aims to address immediate labor shortages. It remains to be seen if the policy will be extend or if it will pose future challenges in integrating a larger foreign workforce into the Kuwaiti economy.