I Kuwait to reduce expat population by half

Some more news on reducing the expat population. I wish they would do something instead of talking about it.

Kuwait to reduce expat population by half
Posted on 9/11/2011

Kuwait is planning to reduce the expat workforce within the next five years by more than half of its current population, reports local dailies. Currently 70 percent of the population is expatriates. Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr Mohammad Al-Afasi said that Kuwait is planning to cut down the expat population to 34% from the current level by organizing the process of recruiting expatriate workers.


Daily reported quoting minister that in the past few years alone, 15,000 expatriates settled in Kuwait after entering the country on commercial visas which they then exchanged for work permits. Ministry already stopped this conversion of visit to work by the beginning of this month.


Al-Afasi stressed that those expatriates already living in the country would not be affected by the new regulations, saying, "The amendments are required to prevent further increase to the current demographical imbalance." He added that bringing more foreign workers to Kuwait from other countries would adversely affect Kuwaitis' and expatriates' job opportunities.

Hurry up and do something Kuwait. I am sick of traffic jams at 6 a.m. and once again at 4 p.m. and that's going toward Arifjan, not the city. Raise the salary requirements for driving license to 500 KD or more to cut down on traffic. I also think an increase at the government hospitals would be a good idea. People come here from poor countries on visit visas just to go to the hospitals for free which drains resources for people who live here.

The visa 14 to visa 18 ban has started affecting our employees. I wonder what the next rule will be?

Residency cap eyed to limit expats - Foreigners cut to 45% of population

Changes are coming.......

KUWAIT CITY, June 12, (RTRS):

Kuwait government is working on plans to introduce residency caps on expatriates to slash their number in the country to 45 percent of the total population, local Arabic daily Annahar reported on Sunday.

“The government will suggest imposing a cap of six years on unskilled labourers, eight years on semi-skilled employees, ten years on semi-skilled employees who are with their families and 12 years on skilled employees. Foreigners with rare expertise will be given an open stay,” Annahar daily quoted a source as saying, the report said.

According to 2010 estimates, the number of foreign workers in Kuwait stands at 2,340,000 and make up 69 percent of the population, the report said. The total number of Kuwaitis is said to be 1,120,000.

A source cited by the Annahar daily said the government is interested in proceeding with the residency cap plans after the World Bank ranked Kuwait as having the fourth highest rate of foreigners compared to the nationals

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http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/170210/reftab/96/Default.aspx