Kuwait: The number of new expatriates working in Kuwait’s government sectors declined by 70 percent in 2022, amid an increase in the employment of Kuwaitis, local media reported.
Arabic daily Al Qabas daily cited figures from the Kuwaiti Central Administration of Statistics showing that the total number of expatriates who joined the government sector in the country reached 1,553 in the first half of 2022, compared to 7,000 each in previous years, with the exception of 2020, which was hit by a pandemic when only 200 expatriates were appointed.
Kuwaitis now make up 366,238 or about 80 percent of the country’s total government workers compared to 91,000 expats, most of whom work in service-oriented jobs in education and healthcare.
In recent years, Kuwait has intensified its efforts to create job opportunities for its citizens and replace foreign employees as part of a policy dubbed “Kuwaitization”.
Foreigners make-up approximately 3.4 million of Kuwait’s total population of 4.6 million.
In recent months, there have been increasing calls in Kuwait to crack down on the hiring of foreigners, along with accusations that migrant workers have overwhelmed the country’s infrastructure facilities amid the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
