Kuwait to halt recruitment of foreign workers younger than 30

Kuwait will stop issuing work permits to foreign graduates under the age of 30 from next year, according to reports.

Kuwait Times cited manpower authority spokesperson and PR manager Aseel Al-Mezyad as confirming the plans.

The rule change will apply to the private and oil sectors from January 1, he said.

The measure comes as the country seeks to reduce its foreign population. Foreigners are estimated to account for up to 70 per cent of the roughly 4.4 million people in the country.

The issue has been hotly debated among MPs and ministers this year, with proposals including a 10-year limit on residency, nationality quotas, a tax on remittances, the imposing of exit visas and deportations for traffic violations all making headlines.

Read: Kuwaiti official’s proposal would see expats deported for traffic violations

Separately, the Gulf country is also looking to encourage tourism and business travel with Arabic publication Al-Rai reporting amendments to visa bylaws are being considered.

These include the granting of one-year multiple-entry visit visas to businessmen and the issuing of visit visas to students to study in Kuwait’s private universities.

The country will also issue visas to health tourists seeking treatment in private hospitals.