Kuwait ministry to cut more than 2,000 staff

A Kuwaiti ministry is reportedly planning to cut more than 2,000 staff in a bid to lower its expenses.

Kuwait Times reports that the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs plans to lay off 2,032 employees working on an assignment basis in various sectors.

Among the heaviest hit areas is expected to be the Quran affairs sector where the ministry employs 2,390 citizens and expatriates.

The publication said the ministry’s central assignment committee had instructed assistant undersecretary Dr Waleed Al-Shuaib to cut at least 15 per cent of assignees and provide a list of those to be laid off by December 15.

Only 10 of the 68 assignees at Al-Shuaib’s office, 173 of the 1,153 at the Quran affairs department, 133 of the 888 in the Islamic studies department, eight of the 56 at the family development department and 34 of the 225 at the Al-Seraj Al-Muneer department will be able to keep their jobs, according to the report.

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah warned at the end of last year that austerity measures were inevitable for the country as it seeks to reduce a budget deficit linked to lower oil revenues.

Read: Kuwait’s Emir says austerity measures “inevitable”

Rising oil prices since then have offered Kuwait some relief but it is still undertaking reforms to cut costs including new increased healthcare costs and insurance fees for expatriate workers.

Read: Kuwait to more than double annual health insurance fee for foreigners