Kuwait municipality may cut 60% of expat workforce

Kuwait’s municipality may terminate up to 60 per cent of its expatriate workforce and also reduce salaries for existing foreign workers, according to local media reports.

Sources told the Al Rai newspaper that the municipality’s financial and administrative sector is preparing to review various expatriates’ contracts, positions and qualifications.

Some of the foreign workers will have salaries decreased after their job descriptions and titles and amended.

Meanwhile those who “do not show up to work regularly and fail to do their job duties or those holding fake degrees” will be laid off, the report said.

The sources said several expats had been recruited by ‘wasta’ or special favour that gave them undeserved privileges.

“This might open the door for terminating around 60 per cent of them,” the sources said.

The report comes as the Gulf state continues to crack down heavily on expatriates, who make up around 70 per cent of its workforce.

Read: Kuwait public sector to cut “unnecessary” expats

Earlier this year, it was reported that Kuwait’s government departments are to lay off ‘unnecessary’ expats by the end of the year.

Sources told local dailies that the cabinet had instructed governmental bodies to freeze the recruitment of expats with the exception of certain vital sectors such as doctors and teachers.

However, earlier reports had also suggested the government planned to cut the number of expat teachers by 25 per cent.

Read: Kuwait to axe 25% of expat teachers

The government has repeatedly denied it is planning to cut the number of expats despite announcing in 2013 that the number of foreign workers would be reduced by 100,000 annually for a decade.

Read: Kuwait To Freeze Expat Numbers

Recently it also introduced a law that compels expats aged over 50 to leave the country. The age limit applies to people working for the public sector and in professions where vacancies can be filled by Kuwaitis.

Also read: Expats may no longer be allowed to hold HR jobs in Saudi Arabia