Al-Yousef: The Emir Advised Us... Open Doors to Citizens

- The law applies to everyone, and I will not allow anyone to play with Kuwait, as it is more important than anyone else.

- 70 million dinars were embezzled across three companies, one of which held a restaurant license and employed only one person, the owner’s nephew.

- One citizen is registered with a salary of 3,000 dinars but receives only 180 dinars monthly.

- I was surprised by the increase in money laundering cases under investigation by the State Security Apparatus.

- We deported 300 delivery workers following a major campaign to enforce traffic regulations, and we monitor violations by workers in this sector daily.

- Company owners must select organized, experienced personnel in the delivery field.

The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousif, sent a message to owners of companies in the private sector, stating, “Forget the previous chaos,” emphasizing the issue of paying workers’ salaries and asserting that “the law applies to everyone, and I will not allow anyone to play with Kuwait, because Kuwait is more important than anyone else.”

This came during the second meeting of its kind for the First Deputy, held on Wednesday evening with company owners at the Public Authority for Manpower, titled “Wage Protection System: Protecting the Workforce, a More Compliant Market.”

Sheikh Al-Yousif stated that his second visit was to follow up on the warnings he issued during the first meeting. He added, “The reason for this meeting stems from my previous warnings about the dangers of ‘tadmeen’ (nominal employment), where some citizens are unaware that companies are registered under their names, receiving only small sums in return, while some are implicated in money laundering. I was surprised by the rise in money laundering cases investigated by the State Security Apparatus. We recently opened files on three individuals and found they had failed to pay their workers’ salaries for up to a year and a half, and the company owner had fled.”

He revealed that “70 million dinars were embezzled across three companies, one of which held a restaurant license and employed only one person, the owner’s nephew.” He added that “one citizen is registered with a salary of 3,000 dinars but receives only 180 dinars monthly. Such practices damage Kuwait’s reputation with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and other international indicators.”

Sheikh Al-Yousif continued, “Today’s meeting addresses companies that have closed their files, aiming to resolve the issue of unpaid salaries at all levels. The system does not distinguish between this person’s file and that person’s file. I cannot tell the government to pay Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti workers only to unfreeze suspended files. Every employer is responsible for every employee working under them.”

He disclosed that the files of 10,000 companies operating in the private sector, each employing five or more workers, have been suspended because they failed to pay their workers’ salaries for periods ranging from one and a half years, and are now being scrutinized by relevant authorities.

Regarding violations by delivery workers, Sheikh Al-Yousif said, “We deported 300 delivery workers following a major campaign to enforce traffic regulations. This followed a meeting with owners of companies operating in the food delivery sector. We monitor violations by workers in this sector daily, and company owners must select organized, experienced personnel in the delivery field. Forget the previous chaos.”

He stated, “Kuwait has never wronged anyone, but what is happening to people is unacceptable. Praise be to God, we are in a state of prosperity and blessing. What fault does the expatriate have who left his family and relatives? If you do not want him, pay his dues and let him go.”

He pointed out that “a violating file will lead to the closure of all files and licenses of the establishment owner, not just the specific violating file. The law applies to everyone, and I will not allow anyone to play with Kuwait. Kuwait is more important than anyone else. Work fairly, and no one will hold you accountable.”

Kuwait officials called on the Public Authority for Manpower to receive citizens, stating, “Designate one day a week to receive citizens from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. His Highness has emphasized opening the door to citizens.” He continued, “Review the mechanism for paying end-of-service benefits for workers in a manner that aligns with the wishes of both the worker and the employer, whether paid annually or as stipulated in the Labor Law. If the law requires amendment, we will amend it.”

Al-Yousef stressed the implementation of the law and warned against circumventing it, saying, “I challenge anyone to prove that I have violated the law or facilitated transactions through favoritism. Kuwait is the most important and enduring entity. His Highness has emphasized that the law must be applied to everyone, including his own sons.”

The First Deputy clarified that he had instructed the Public Authority for Manpower and the Residency Affairs Administration to determine the nationality composition of the workforce in companies using a system similar to quotas, limiting each nationality to 30 to 40 percent of the total workforce, with no more than that. If the proportion exceeds this limit, additional fees will be imposed. The matter is currently under study.

The First Deputy also addressed skilled labor, stating, “It is unacceptable that I train workers to become highly skilled, only for them to leave for another country. Review the issue of preventing skilled workers from transferring from one company to another, provided the employer is adhering to the contract between them.” He stressed that relevant authorities are combating workers who do not comply with the Labor Law.

Al-Asimi: 10,000 companies suspended since last September – Every company urged to assign a staff member responsible for payroll matters

Rabab Al-Asimi, Director General of the Public Authority for Manpower, stated that “an additional 10,000 companies have been suspended since last September until today for failing to comply with paying workers’ salaries,” calling for “each company to assign a staff member responsible for payroll matters, given that many companies fail to submit required documents through the Authority’s systems. Non-compliance with salary payments leads to immediate suspension, and the Authority now suspends files on a monthly basis.”

Al-Asimi added, during her remarks at the meeting, that “delays in salary payments exacerbate labor problems.” She noted that the Authority is currently working in collaboration with the Central Bank of Kuwait to implement new procedures within three months, which will reveal the mechanism for salary withdrawals and verify whether workers actually withdraw their funds directly or through the company. She pointed out that paying workers’ salaries in cash is prohibited, with a two-month grace period allowed for new workers who have entered the country, after which it is strictly forbidden. She mentioned that “some companies that are liquidating themselves are required to notify the Inspection Administration to avoid legal procedures in case of unpaid salaries and worker transfers.”

She clarified that “suspended licenses are automatically canceled if there is no workforce associated with them. The Authority is studying the issue of multiple licenses at a single location, coordinating this matter with the Ministry of Commerce.”

She urged company owners to “provide all workers’ rights and salaries. Consequently, we will not allow workers to transfer without sufficient grounds permitting such transfers. We have issued instructions to the Labor Relations Administration regarding this matter.”

Data from the Public Authority for Manpower showed that 8,849 files were suspended for non-payment of wages until last June, representing 18.3 percent of the total 48,408 files registered with five or more workers.

The data indicated that the wage compliance rate rose to 75.6 percent last July, an increase of 36.9 percentage points compared to 38.7 percent in the same month of 2025. It added that the number of applications submitted by companies through the wage compliance system reached 93,865 applications during the period from January to September 2026, a growth of 195.6 percent compared to 31,757 applications in the same period last year.

The number of approved applications reached 93,852, reflecting improvements in the efficiency of processing applications and strengthening the monitoring of companies’ compliance with salary payments, thereby contributing to the protection of workers’ rights and enhancing discipline in the labor market.

389 reports submitted via the “Blaghi” service, with 201 responses provided

Data from the Authority revealed that 389 reports were received through the electronic “Blaghi” service, with 201 of them receiving responses, representing 51.7 percent of the total reports submitted. The data, presented during the meeting, indicated that reports related to salary disbursements totaled 40, accounting for 10.3 percent of all reports, meaning approximately one in every ten reports concerned wage payments. The electronic “Blaghi” service facilitates the submission of reports and tracks responses, thereby strengthening communication channels with the Authority and aiding in the identification of labor issues, particularly those related to delayed salary payments.