KUWAIT: The ministry of commerce and industry announced on Thursday that it has decided to completely halt the appointment of expatriates in all jobs as part of national efforts to reduce the number of expat employees in government jobs. The decision, taken by Minister of Commerce and Industry Khalifa Al-Ajeel, also applies to all expat employees in authorities affiliated to the ministry. The only exception from the decision are expats whose mothers are Kuwaiti, according to the decision.

Kuwait has launched a campaign to dismiss the majority of expats in government jobs with the aim to employ more Kuwaitis in public sector jobs, but has faced challenges regarding the availability of highly-skilled Kuwaiti employees to replace expats. According to the latest available statistics, there are about 120,000 expats working in the government, about 23 percent of all public sector jobs in ministries and independent authorities. More than 55 percent of them are concentrated in the ministries of health and education, who are very difficult to replace.

The Civil Service Commission issued a decision recently ordering that contracts of expats in government jobs must not be renewed after March 31, except highly-skilled employees or those with rare specialities. Tens of thousands of expats could be affected by the decision.

Meanwhile, the ministry of justice issued a decision on Thursday calling to treat foreign wives of Kuwaitis who had their Kuwaiti citizenship revoked like Kuwaitis. In a drive that began in May, the government has stripped around 29,000 foreign wives of Kuwaitis of their Kuwaiti citizenship, correcting a legal mistake in granting them citizenship during the past few decades.

The move appears to be an implementation of a decision by the Cabinet to treat all those who lost their nationality like Kuwaiti citizens. Two days ago, the Cabinet formed a legal committee to look into petitions of these women against the revocation of their citizenship.

Separately, the interior ministry said in a post on social media on Thursday that water guns and water balloons are banned during Kuwait’s national celebrations.