KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and State Minister for Housing Affairs Dr Rana Al-Fares prepares to sign termination letters for expatriate employees at the Ministry of Public Works, Al-Rai daily reported quoting informed sources. The list contains the names of 400 employees from various departments, and hold administrative, legal and technical positions. It comes weeks after the minister had terminated 150 expat ministry employees, said the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"The original plan was to terminate expatriate employees gradually, and the next batch was supposed to happen by year's end," the sources said. "However, the minister decided not to wait and end expatriate employees' contracts immediately." The 550 employees who were released and expected to be released make up the entire expat workforce in the Ministry of Public Works and Public Authority for Roads and Transportation; or five percent of the total staff, the sources said. "Fares eyes full Kuwaitization of her departments' workforce and allowing national manpower to bear full responsibility in the coming years," the sources explained.