Minister Hind Al-Sabeeh

KUWAIT: Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Economic Development Hind Al-Sabeeh told Al-Anbaa daily that expat university degree holders will have to provide their attested original certificates to renew their residency visas. Sabeeh added more categories could be later included in this condition once a related study is completed.

Responding to a question whether the residencies of some expats will no longer be renewed, Sabeeh said this was being considered, as expat marginal laborers overburden the local market by seeking job opportunities all the time.

Sabeeh stressed that these decisions were meant to protect expat workers from being exploited. She noted that the new measures will also target Kuwaiti owners of companies using illegal methods and human trafficking to recruit expats and bring them to Kuwait. "These companies will be suspended, fined and referred for investigations," Sabeeh vowed.