Faisal Al-Humoud to Al-Rai: Continuing efforts to eradicate marginal and unregulated labor
- Revisiting the recruitment of labor and certain expatriate communities, whose numbers have reached levels warranting review
- The labor market requires a comprehensive review to ensure the attraction of skilled and technical workers
- Large numbers of unskilled labor can be significantly reduced
Former Ambassador and Governor, Advisor Sheikh Faisal Al-Humoud Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, emphasized the importance of proceeding with addressing Kuwait’s demographic composition, commending efforts and proposals aimed at curbing marginal labor and those violating residency laws, thereby enhancing security and stability and safeguarding the public interest.
Sheikh Faisal Al-Humoud, in a statement to “Al-Rai,” stated that Kuwait’s security, stability, and national interest take precedence over all other considerations, stressing the need to continue efforts to eliminate marginal and irregular labor as soon as possible, due to their negative repercussions and the introduction of alien phenomena that threaten social security and societal integrity.
Al-Mubarak affirmed that Kuwait has consistently provided legal safeguards over the past years to protect the rights of compliant expatriate workers, as a country founded on respect for the law and the provision of a safe and dignified environment for residents. He noted that individuals proven to have violated laws or been involved in offenses warranting deportation must face appropriate legal measures.
He added that the labor market requires a comprehensive review to ensure the attraction of skilled and technical workers needed by the national economy, pointing out that large numbers of unskilled labor can be significantly reduced and their presence reorganized in alignment with labor market needs, thereby boosting productivity and improving demographic composition.
Al-Humoud called for reorganizing the domestic labor sector, given that its numbers have reached record levels nearing one million workers, emphasizing the need to reassess the sector’s requirements and establish more effective regulations for labor recruitment, ensuring a balance between family needs, development requirements, and demographic reform plans.
He noted that the arrival of certain expatriate communities in Kuwait to levels nearing one million necessitates a review of labor recruitment policies to achieve greater demographic balance, while considering actual labor market needs, development requirements, and maintaining social stability.
He added that a large segment of expatriate workers is employed in professions not requiring high academic qualifications, with many holding qualifications below the secondary level. This calls for a precise assessment of labor market needs and expanding job opportunities for Kuwaitis, particularly in the private sector, to reinforce the policy of replacing positions that Kuwaitis can fill, while continuing to attract the specialized talents and skilled labor required by the national economy.
Al-Humoud pointed out that Kuwait’s population exceeding five million is not inherently a positive indicator if it does not align with development needs and the state’s capacity to absorb such growth. He clarified that population increases of this magnitude impose pressures on public services and infrastructure, including electricity, water, roads, health, and educational facilities, as well as the housing market. This necessitates reevaluating population policies and linking them to the national economy’s needs and the state’s available capacities.
He called for continued support of the relevant authorities in enforcing the law and combating the trade of residency permits and irregular labor, emphasizing that reforming the demographic composition is one of the most important strategic files requiring the concerted efforts of all state institutions, in order to achieve demographic balance, enhance the efficiency of the labor market, and support the path of sustainable development in Kuwait.
