Kuwait’s domestic labor sector is bracing for a severe shortage, with 105,000 domestic workers—25% of the total 420,000 female workers in the country—set to leave the workforce as their contracts expire. Many of these workers have shown no intention of renewing their contracts, signaling a looming crisis, particularly with the high-demand Ramadan season approaching.
Bassam Al-Shammari, an expert in domestic worker affairs, highlighted a widening gap between supply and demand. Recruitment of new workers remains slow due to limited cooperation from overseas recruitment agencies, which have restricted allocations to local offices. This is reportedly a response to dissatisfaction with Kuwait’s recruitment pricing, which is significantly lower than other Gulf nations. Recruitment costs for Asian workers in other Gulf countries range from 1,200 to 1,400 Kuwaiti dinars, while African workers cost approximately 800 dinars. In contrast, Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce has capped these prices at nearly half these rates.
Adding to the crisis, the recruitment of Ethiopian workers has been stalled despite the approval of Decree No. 174 of 2024, which established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ethiopia over three months ago. The slow pace of implementing this agreement and the failure to open visa channels have further delayed their arrival in Kuwait.
Al-Shammari criticized the government-run Al-Durra Company for Manpower for unfulfilled promises to supply the market with affordable workers from countries like the Philippines. He argued that these claims were unrealistic and designed merely to appease public discontent.
To address the crisis, Al-Shammari proposed several solutions, including accelerating the signing of agreements with additional labor-exporting countries and expanding employment options to include daily or monthly work. He also called for mechanisms to resolve labor disputes more efficiently while ensuring workers’ rights, such as annual leave, end-of-service benefits, and weekly rest days.
He emphasized the importance of recognizing the distinct nature of domestic work, noting that attempts to treat domestic workers like other employees have created systemic issues. Failure to address these challenges, he warned, could harm Kuwait’s domestic labor market and tarnish its international standing.
