KUWAIT: Kuwait's Ministry of Public Works has decided to terminate the service of 80 expatriate employees, as the country is seeking to curtail hiring of migrant workers, a local Arabic daily reported yesterday. The ministry's undersecretary Esmail Al Felakawi has issued the decision to end the service of the 80 as of March, Al-Anbaa reported.

The ministry aims at implementing a Kuwaitization plan, empowering national employees, the official said. The terminations comprise advisers, accountants, engineers and other expatriates working on temporary or special contracts, the official elaborated. Foreigners account for nearly 3.4 million of Kuwait's over 4.8 million population.

In recent months, there have been increasing calls in Kuwait for curbing foreigners' employment to redress a demographic imbalance amid accusations that migrant workers have strained the country's infrastructure facilities. Several state institutions in Kuwait have recently disclosed plans to limit hiring foreigners, prioritizing Kuwaitis' employment.