Kuwait Allows Temporary Transfer of Workers to Certain Sectors
A two-month exception to existing labor laws aims to address workforce needs in key sectors while maintaining regulatory control.
Kuwait has introduced a temporary regulatory measure allowing the transfer of recruited workers to specific sectors that were previously restricted. First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef, who also chairs the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Manpower, issued Ministerial Decision No. (2) of 2026 to facilitate this change.
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The decision permits workers originally recruited for prohibited sectors to transfer to other industries, provided they obtain explicit approval from their original employer.
The sectors opened for these transfers include small and medium enterprises (SMEs), industry, agriculture, grazing, and fishing. This directive serves as a specific exception to the provisions of Ministerial Resolution No. (9) of 2016 and Public Authority for Manpower Resolution No. (842) of 2015, which had historically limited such movements.
Effective from May 1, 2026, and concluding on June 30, 2026, the decision will be officially published in the Kuwaiti Official Gazette. Relevant authorities have been instructed to enforce these provisions immediately upon publication.
A key stipulation of the new rule is that labor complaints filed by workers regarding an employer's refusal to approve a transfer will not be accepted by authorities during this two-month window.
The initiative is viewed as a targeted, temporary solution designed to address immediate workforce shortages in key economic sectors while ensuring that regulatory oversight remains intact through the requirement of employer consent. This measure aims to balance labor mobility with the rights of employers during the specified period.