KUWAIT: In an ongoing effort to strengthen the local workforce, the Kuwaiti government has launched initiatives aimed at “Kuwaitizing” supervisory jobs within the country’s cooperative societies. This process involves replacing expatriate workers with Kuwaiti nationals in leadership and supervisory roles. Below are some of the key details of these efforts:

What is “Kuwaitization”?

“Kuwaitization” refers to the government’s policy of prioritizing Kuwaiti citizens for job opportunities. The goal is to reduce reliance on foreign labor, enhance the skills of Kuwaiti nationals, and ensure job security for citizens.

Public Sector: In the public sector, the Kuwaitization policy aims to ensure that the workforce consists entirely of Kuwaiti citizens. This includes government departments and state-run organizations, where efforts are made to replace expatriates with qualified Kuwaitis in all roles.

Private sector: In the private sector, quotas have been introduced to encourage the employment of nationals. Companies are required to meet certain percentages of Kuwaiti employees, with penalties for non-compliance. This is designed to provide more job opportunities for Kuwaiti citizens while fostering a more balanced workforce across all industries.

How is the Kuwaitization in co-ops being implemented?

In February 2023, the Ministry of Social Affairs initiated efforts to “Kuwaitize” leadership positions in cooperative societies. Ministerial Decision No 68/2023 was issued to outline the regulations, conditions, and mechanisms for placing Kuwaiti citizens in supervisory positions such as cooperative society directors, their deputies and department heads. Job postings were published in July 2023, specifically for five cooperative societies: Nuzha, Qortuba, Faiha, Jabriya and Qadisiya. A four-member committee was tasked with studying the candidacy process and conducting interviews.

Although no data was made publicly available regarding the turnout for these positions, sources suggested they were lower than anticipated. They said concerns about job security — especially with frequent changes in co-op management — may have deterred potential applicants.

In July 2024, the Ministry of Social Affairs, represented by the Cooperative Sector, said it was working on developing a “new vision” for Kuwaitization of positions within cooperatives. The new vision reportedly included the Kuwaitization of general positions within cooperatives, such as legal accountants, procurement clerks, warehouse keepers, goods receipt officers, and market and store managers, among other roles.

Salaries and benefits

When the ministerial decision to Kuwaitize labor at cooperative societies was first issued, the government released the salaries these positions would offer. This includes: General Director – KD 2,000, Deputy General Director – KD 1,500, and Head of Department – KD 1,000. In addition to these salaries, the roles come with labor and family support benefits that are typically provided to Kuwaiti citizens.

Broader impact

3,000 Kuwaiti Jobs: The government’s target is to employ 3,000 Kuwaitis in leadership and supervisory roles across 69 cooperative societies, which make up the largest retail market in Kuwait. If successful, the initiative would help alleviate the employment burden in the public sector. Kuwaiti Youth Employment: In addition to adult job postings, the Ministry of Social Affairs has also introduced a program to employ high school students in cooperative societies during the summer of 2023. Eligible students were able to work part-time and earn between KD 100 to KD 200 for four hours of work per day over two months.