After years of struggling with random employment and increasing chaos due to visa trade and other violations, the Kuwaiti government has taken significant steps to address the issue of demographic imbalances and develop the labor market. In 2023, the Council of Ministers appointed Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, to oversee this important file. His appointment has led to the implementation of various regulatory and encouraging decisions, which have greatly contributed to the activation of Law No. 74 of 2020, aimed at regulating demographics.
One of the key initiatives within the framework of the Kuwaitization plan is to address demographic imbalances and achieve balance in the labor market. This is crucial for achieving social, economic, and job security. Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled, who also serves as the Chairman of the National Committee for Demographics and Labor Market Development, has been instrumental in driving these efforts.
To protect Kuwaiti families from labor and commercial fraud and to combat visa traders who exploit workers, the government has launched the “Electronic Worker ID” through the My ID application. This ID contains crucial worker data and contributes to the regulation of the labor market.
In addition to the worker’s smart identity, the government has introduced the “Kuwait Visa” application, which includes an electronic entry visa (e-Visa) for Kuwait. The aim is to reduce forgery and tampering with entry visas, while ensuring fast and accurate electronic verification before workers enter the country. This system also helps protect society by limiting the entry of individuals with a criminal record, those wanted by judicial authorities, or those suffering from infectious diseases.
To increase the proportion of national workers in the private sector and create attractive job opportunities for them, several decisions have been made. One of these decisions is the Kuwaitization of cooperative societies’ project, which aims to create 3,000 jobs for Kuwaiti youth, including 1,000 supervisory and senior positions. Additionally, 2,100 job opportunities have been made available in cooperative societies, offering salaries and benefits that are encouraging and stimulating for national workers. The project has already witnessed a high demand for these positions, and the first phase has been successfully launched, with national workers already employed in senior positions.
The project not only aims to organize and develop cooperative work in various regions of Kuwait but also provides job opportunities for people with special needs. This sector is vital, as it contributes to the development of administrative and technical skills among national workers and ensures the sustainability and growth of cooperative work, ultimately improving the services provided to citizens.
Efforts to encourage national workers and develop the labor market have not stopped there. The government has continued to issue regulations for the Kuwaitization of government contracts, aiming to create attractive job opportunities for national workers in these contracts.
Furthermore, under the leadership of Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled, the Public Authority for Manpower has made several amendments and additions to the labor support program. These changes are aimed at encouraging work in the private sector and reducing the inclination of workers to seek employment in the government sector, which can lead to inflation in the public sector.
In conclusion, Kuwait’s government has taken significant steps to address demographic imbalances and develop the labor market. Through various initiatives such as the Electronic Worker ID, the Kuwait Visa application, and the Kuwaitization projects, the government aims to protect Kuwaiti families, regulate the labor market, and create attractive job opportunities for national workers. These efforts will contribute to achieving social, economic, and job security in the country.
Source: TimesKuwait
