Wathani: Kuwaiti Uber Driver
The debate has intensified in recent days, following Uber’s entry into the local market, over the idea of Kuwaiti citizens working as ride-hailing drivers for the new company. Supporters view this profession as a break from the stereotypical office-based government jobs that characterize the national workforce, arguing that it would help balance the labor market. Opponents, however, reject the notion on the grounds that driving is unsuitable for Kuwaitis.
I firmly believe that any honest work is not a source of shame; rather, it is an honor and a professional asset for any individual. Working as a ride-hailing driver for “Uber” or other platforms could offer citizens a unique human opportunity to interact with people of various nationalities and social groups in Kuwait from a perspective not commonly experienced between service providers and clients. It also presents a chance to improve financial conditions, especially for young people at the start of their careers, gain valuable experience, and learn the “value of the dinar,” thereby reducing the excessive consumerism particularly prevalent among this demographic.
It is worth noting that Kuwaitis working as taxi drivers, oil workers, or in government ministries before the introduction of the “contractor contracts” system—which undermined the professionalism of the national workforce—was a common practice until decades, and even years, ago.
In my view, a Kuwaiti working in any service profession, such as ride-hailing, food delivery, carpentry, blacksmithing, or fishing—professions that have even given their names to Kuwaiti families—is linked to improving personal income and gaining professional and human experiences that allow interaction with diverse groups of people. However, this does not constitute a fundamental entry point for reforming Kuwait’s labor market, business environment, or its economic imbalances.
In numerical terms, data on the Kuwaiti labor market indicates a sharp slowdown in the employment of Kuwaitis in the private sector in recent years. After their numbers more than tripled at the beginning of the millennium, increasing from 18,000 to 65,000 between 2000 and 2009—supported by the approval of national workforce subsidies and the boom in market sectors, particularly the stock exchange, real estate, banking, and the expansion of company formations—the global financial crises and the chaos in government staffing structures derailed the rising trend in private sector employment. This led to a slowdown, as reflected in the 2025 statistics, which showed 73,000 Kuwaitis employed in the private sector, representing 16.7 percent of the national workforce, a marginal increase of 0.3 percent compared to 2024.
Therefore, discussing the employment of citizens as ride-hailing drivers for “Uber” or other platforms, regardless of the various benefits it may offer, cannot be considered a fundamental entry point for labor market reform. Such reform requires serious, not emotional, ideas and practical solutions tied to time-bound programs. For example, this could include a gradual localization of private sector jobs, starting with companies and banks registered with the Capital Markets Authority, extending to family-owned businesses, commercial agencies, and foreign investment facilities, in addition to improving the conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises and facilitating the granting of licenses for artisanal and industrial projects to ensure the stimulation of the business environment. Only then can the beginning be serious and fundamental, going beyond the mere “knock” on the idea of a Kuwaiti working as a ride-hailing driver.
