Foreign job for Asians
Kuwait
Living, working or studying in Kuwait?
Just Landed helps you manage everyday life. Our Kuwait Guide covers topics like visas, housing, jobs and finance. Join the Just Landed Community, get in touch with people like you and share your experiences. Most importantly, have fun!
Visas & Permits
Before leaving to come to Kuwait, make sure you understand your legal situation. Depending on your nationality, you might need a visa, residence permit and/or work permit. Read our guide to legal requirements for coming to Kuwait or use the Just Landed forums to ask other members for help.
Documentation required to enter Kuwait
The movement of foreigners is tightly controlled in Kuwait, and issuing of visas and other permits is subject to strict bureaucratic procedures.
Those who are denied access therefore have little opportunity for appeal. Fortunately, the average expatriate doesn’t need to deal with much of the bureaucracy. Most companies and institutions, large or small, have a ‘fixer’, whose job is to wade through the red tape generated by the various ministerial departments in order to obtain work and residence visas for foreign workers and their families. The fixer will also act as your guide whenever your presence is required.
The documents required to enter Kuwait include the following:
Note also that any visible connection with Israel, e.g. an Israeli passport or an Israeli entry stamp, will disqualify you from entry.
While you’re in Kuwait, you’re required to carry identification documents, e.g. passport or national identity card and appropriate entry and residence visas. Note that it’s common for labour officials to carry out spot checks on businesses in search of workers employed illegally and to inspect passports in the possession of the employer.
This isn’t to suggest that the region’s countries are repressive regimes: expatriates have little to worry about if they conduct themselves in a reasonable way, obey the laws and observe the rules of the culture. Indeed, you will usually be treated with kindness and generosity.
Visas
How to obtain a visa
You can enter Kuwait without a visa if you’re a GCC national or an expatriate with authorised residence in another GCC state.
All other visitors require visas, which must be organised in advance. The Kuwaiti government’s insistence on this is understandable in view of the country’s troubled recent history.
In order to obtain a visa, you require a sponsor, which is normally your employer if you’re working. If you’re visiting for a holiday or business, the hotel where you’re staying can act as your sponsor. To request this service, you must send your travel itinerary and passport details by fax a few weeks in advance of your stay. Ensure that confirmation has been given and that your visa will be left at your point of entry before you depart. A small fee will be added to your hotel bill for this service. Additionally, your hotel might be able to obtain short extensions to your stay, provided they’re sure of your itinerary during the stay. The hotel is responsible for you during your time in the country. If you’re taking up work in Kuwait, your sponsor will normally arrange the necessary visas and permits for you.
Most visas and permits consist of passport stamps, so that immigration authorities can easily check that you have the necessary authorisation when you enter or leave the country. There are costs associated with the various visas and permits, but in the case of foreign workers these are normally met by your employer. Note that the prices quoted below should be taken as a guide only, as they’re subject to change, as are the conditions and requirements; the relevant state’s embassy or consulate can provide you with the current information.
Visitor VisaValid for three or six months, these are obtained from Kuwaiti embassies and consulates or via a Kuwaiti sponsor, who will apply to the Ministry of the Interior in Kuwait. Hotels also arrange visas for their guests (see above). A three-month visa costs around $45 (£30), a six-month visa around $72 (£48). Multiple entry visas may be issued upon application to Kuwaiti embassies and consulates; these are usually granted for the purpose of repeat business trips. They cost around $100 (£66) for six months, $110 (£75) for a year, $150 (£100) for two years and $120 (£180) for five years.
Residence VisaIf you’re going to work in Kuwait, you need a residence visa. First, you must obtain an NOC, which is provided by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour following application by your sponsor. If making arrangements prior to entry, your next step is to submit the NOC to the Ministry of the Interior. If you arrive on a visitor visa (see above), your sponsor will apply for an NOC and on receipt of this will apply directly to the Ministry of the Interior for your residence visa. When you receive approval for the visa, you must leave the country and return, with your NOC (although this requirement is sometimes waived); your residence visa will be issued shortly afterwards. A medical examination is required, including an HIV/AIDS test. Once you’ve obtained your a residence visa, you will be issued with a ‘Civil ID’ card, which must be carried at all times. As in the other Gulf states, your sponsor normally takes care of these administrative matters, leaving you simply to follow instructions.
Employment prospects
Kuwait allows plenty of foreign workers into its territory, but almost exclusively on a temporary basis.
Expatriates aren’t generally allowed to become part of the permanent population. Foreign workers are dealt with in a fair but controlled way, paid and treated well, and at the end of their time in the region, thanked and rewarded for their efforts. On the other hand, the government is conscious of the need to provide decent jobs with career paths for their own young people, who are increasingly educated and aware of the attractions of the outside world – many attend universities in the USA or UK. Having made major investments in education and social welfare, they hope that eventually Kuwait will become almost self-sufficient in terms of labour.
A majority of outside observers, however, believe that expatriates will have a substantial role to play for many years to come, and it seems likely that expatriates will continue to be important for the next two or three decades, although there will undoubtedly be changes in the number of people employed and the type of skills required. For example, the vast construction projects currently found throughout the region (e.g. road systems, airports, ports and trading zones) will become less numerous, with a resulting decline in the number of manual workers required. Commercial development, however, will lead to further building programmes as Kuwait’s economy continues to grow. Managerial, professional and particularly technological experience will still be in strong demand for many years to come. But there will be none of the mass immigration and resulting demands for citizenship that have been experienced in western societies, or the current trend of economic refugees looking for a better way of life. Kuwait will simply not allow it. Foreigners cannot become citizens or own land and property, although there appears to be some lessening of the restrictions, certainly as regards owning one’s own business.
There are other general issues to consider: you’re contemplating a move to a culture that’s almost certainly different to your own; will the way of life, and particularly the restrictions imposed on you, suit you? Will the relocation benefit your long-term career prospects? Will your family (especially any children) cope with and benefit from the move? What impact will it have on their education and employment prospects? If you aspire to be your own boss, as many people do, be aware that starting a business in the region can prove difficult and that you will almost always be required to have a local partner who has a majority holding. Is that acceptable to you?
The Middle East has been the scene of considerable conflict and unrest in recent decades, although the Gulf states are generally safe places to live and work. However, before travelling anywhere in the Middle East, it’s wise to obtain advice from your country’s foreign office. Note also that homosexuality is regarded as a criminal offence throughout the region.
You should ideally have a firm offer of employment before travelling to Kuwait. Speculative visits are occasionally successful, but you need to be notably lucky and have high-grade qualifications and experience to stand any chance. In addition, you will almost certainly need knowledgeable local contacts and have done some research into the types of company which would most value your experience.
KuwaitKuwait is the third-largest oil producer in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It has great wealth and is of tremendous strategic importance, as was shown by the world’s response to the Iraqi invasion of 1990/91. The Iraqi invasion had a significant impact on the Kuwaiti economy, both in terms of damage to the oil industry and exports and because of the cost of paying the military forces called in to eject the Iraqis. Kuwait and its people also lost a significant portion of their wealth through its unlawful ‘confiscation’ by the Iraqis. In spite of this, however, much of the country’s assets were safely invested overseas and the government in exile managed to retain control of these vital resources.
Since the war, the economy has gradually recovered, and recent oil price increases are allowing further expansion. (Kuwait’s financial assets were greatly, if momentarily, diminished by the decision to compensate its people for losses suffered as a result of the Iraqi conflict.) Foreign investment has increased, largely as a result of a decree of 1999, which approved the 100 per cent foreign ownership of certain companies registered in the country, a significant departure from the original ruling of a maximum equity holding of 49 per cent. These companies will be those that contribute to a more diverse economy and the provision of advanced technology and industry.
Oil production and associated downstream industries, including refining and petrochemicals, account for around 90 per cent of foreign earnings and nearly three quarters of Kuwait’s gross domestic product, which is estimated at around $30 billion annually. Kuwait has tremendous reserves of oil, with an estimated 90 billion barrels in the Burgan area alone. Oil production is estimated to be around 1.8 million barrels per day, with the majority of oil exports sent east. The Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC) controls the country’s oil interests, including many overseas downstream assets, in addition to home production. Kuwait Petroleum International has several refineries in Europe and the Far East, and operates the thousands of Q8 petrol service stations in those regions.
The petrochemicals industry has recently diversified and produces polyethylene, polypropylene, fertilisers and other products for export to Kuwait’s neighbours and international markets. A free trade zone in the port of Al-Shuwaikh is expected to encourage further diversification of the overall economy and the development of trade with neighbouring countries and the Far East. Local and international investors in the industrial, service and commercial sectors are encouraged by the 100 per cent foreign ownership concession, with no corporate taxes or currency restrictions and the free movement of funds. New highways and the modern shipping port at Shuaiba add to the attraction of the zone.
Kuwait has a healthy financial and banking sector, with commercial banks owned by the government or by wealthy trading families. The National Bank of Kuwait is the main retail bank, with over 35 branches. Other banks, such as the Commercial Bank of Kuwait and The Credit and Savings Bank, also offer full service banking facilities. The Industrial Bank of Kuwait deals mainly with the funding of industrial, manufacturing and agricultural programmes. The Central Bank of Kuwait is responsible for regulating the financial industry as a whole. The Kuwait Stock Exchange was successfully reopened in 1992, after experiencing major problems following its initial formation in 1977 and the suspension of trading during the Iraqi conflict. Other significant financial institutions include (ARIG) the Arab Reinsurance Group, which deals with major insurance such as aviation and shipping.
Kuwait’s telecommunications network is state-of-the-art, well able to meet the demands of the rapidly developing economy. Agriculture and fishing, on the other hand, which are among the country’s traditional industries, contribute relatively little to the gross domestic product, and Kuwait relies heavily on food imports.
A downturn in oil prices in 1998/99 prompted the Kuwaiti government to to reduce the dependency on state subsidies by moving towards the privatisation of its consumer utilities, electricity, health etc. This process continues, with proposals to privatise the airline and telecommunications industries and to encourage foreign investment.
Kuwait is a significant member of the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council), enjoys vast resources and has largely overcome the serious problems experienced as a result of the Iraqi invasion. The repatriation of foreign workers at the start of that conflict allowed the authorities to adjust the volume and nationalities of foreign workers permitted to return when the conflict was over. (Workers from countries or groups of people whose sympathies were believed to lie with Iraq – notably Palestinians and Yemenis – weren’t allowed to return.) The expatriate work force is concentrated in oil-related activities and the service sector.
Sponsorship
What is a sponsor?
All foreigners require a local sponsor in order to visit Kuwait (whether on holiday or business) or live and work there.
Whereas in the west the word ‘sponsor’ is commonly used of individuals or businesses paying to have their names associated with an artistic or sporting event, in the Gulf it has a quite different meaning: a sponsor acts as a sort of guardian as well as guarantor and must undertake all administrative work (i.e. paperwork) on behalf of the foreigner, including applying for a work and residence visa, opening a bank account and signing a rental accommodation contract. A sponsor can be an individual, a company or an institution. In the case of employees, your employer usually also acts as your sponsor; visitors may be sponsored by a business partner or associate or by the hotel in which they’re staying. Those aiming to do business or set up a business in Kuwait should research the local business environment, establish contacts and find an individual or company with a good reputation and experience in the relevant field to act as your sponsor, who will expect remuneration for his services.
The sponsorship system is an effective form of immigration control. As your sponsor is responsible for you and ‘takes the rap’ if you misbehave or contravene any regulations (which will also involve him in loss of ‘face’ in the community), he automatically checks that you’re reliable and trustworthy, as well as ensuring that you don’t inadvertently step out of line. For this reason, your sponsor is an important source of help and advice and a valuable ‘ally’. Note that there is talk of the sponsorship requirement being waived in some states, particularly for foreigners wanting to set up businesses in the free trade zones, but this hadn’t happened at the time of publication.
Working conditions
Salary & Working hours
Salaries in Kuwait are usually similar to or greater than those paid in western countries.
But because the region has no personal taxation, net income is usually much greater, which is one of the major attractions of working in Kuwait. In the past, remuneration packages were split into various elements: basic salary, car provision or allowance, housing provision or allowance, medical cover, education for children and air tickets for home visits. Today, however, employers tend just to pay a salary, which covers all these expenses, although in some cases there are performance or other bonuses.
In addition to their salary, contract workers are awarded an ‘indemnity’ at the end of the contract period. The indemnity is usually based on basic salary excluding any bonuses. The indemnity can be a significant amount of money if you’ve been working in Kuwait for a long time, and many people manage either to accumulate a reasonable financial cushion or to live the high life. If you’re clever and disciplined, you should be able to do some of both. The indemnity has nothing to do with insurance but is an end-of-contract bonus which is required by law to be paid to expatriate workers as a sort of ‘thank-you’ for being of service to the state. (It’s also known as ‘end of service benefits’.) Indemnity scales usually amount to 15 (in some cases 20) days of basic pay per year of employment for the first three years and thereafter a month’s salary per year of employment.
Note that some Arab companies regularly delay the payment of salaries, cash flow problems being passed on to their staff. In this event, you have little alternative but to wait.
Working Hours & OvertimeThe working week in Kuwait tends to vary between 40 and 48 hours, depending on the particular company’s policy. Office hours are usually from 8.30 or 9.00 am to 5.30 or 6.00 pm. There are no differences in time keeping between summer and winter. In the month of Ramadan, the working day is reduced to six hours and legally this should apply to all staff, but many companies only apply it to Muslims, who fast during daylight hours.
Friday is the Muslim rest day and, if your company has a five-day working week, the other day off will probably be either Thursday or Saturday. Saturday is the more popular choice for international companies, as taking Thursday off would mean a reduction in the number of operational days in common with much of the rest of the world. Conversely, other companies insist on Thursday, as the school ‘weekend’ is Thursday and Friday.
Before leaving to come to Kuwait, make sure you understand your legal situation. Depending on your nationality, you might need a visa, residence permit and/or work permit. Read our guide to legal requirements for coming to Kuwait or use the Just Landed forums to ask other members for help.
Documentation required to enter Kuwait
The movement of foreigners is tightly controlled in Kuwait, and issuing of visas and other permits is subject to strict bureaucratic procedures.
Those who are denied access therefore have little opportunity for appeal. Fortunately, the average expatriate doesn’t need to deal with much of the bureaucracy. Most companies and institutions, large or small, have a ‘fixer’, whose job is to wade through the red tape generated by the various ministerial departments in order to obtain work and residence visas for foreign workers and their families. The fixer will also act as your guide whenever your presence is required.
The documents required to enter Kuwait include the following:
- a passport valid for at least six months (it’s useful to have at least three or four photocopies);
- at least six passport-size photographs;
- a marriage certificate (if applicable);
- birth certificates for all family members;
- a medical certificate in the case of workers.
Note also that any visible connection with Israel, e.g. an Israeli passport or an Israeli entry stamp, will disqualify you from entry.
While you’re in Kuwait, you’re required to carry identification documents, e.g. passport or national identity card and appropriate entry and residence visas. Note that it’s common for labour officials to carry out spot checks on businesses in search of workers employed illegally and to inspect passports in the possession of the employer.
This isn’t to suggest that the region’s countries are repressive regimes: expatriates have little to worry about if they conduct themselves in a reasonable way, obey the laws and observe the rules of the culture. Indeed, you will usually be treated with kindness and generosity.
Visas
How to obtain a visa
You can enter Kuwait without a visa if you’re a GCC national or an expatriate with authorised residence in another GCC state.
All other visitors require visas, which must be organised in advance. The Kuwaiti government’s insistence on this is understandable in view of the country’s troubled recent history.
In order to obtain a visa, you require a sponsor, which is normally your employer if you’re working. If you’re visiting for a holiday or business, the hotel where you’re staying can act as your sponsor. To request this service, you must send your travel itinerary and passport details by fax a few weeks in advance of your stay. Ensure that confirmation has been given and that your visa will be left at your point of entry before you depart. A small fee will be added to your hotel bill for this service. Additionally, your hotel might be able to obtain short extensions to your stay, provided they’re sure of your itinerary during the stay. The hotel is responsible for you during your time in the country. If you’re taking up work in Kuwait, your sponsor will normally arrange the necessary visas and permits for you.
Most visas and permits consist of passport stamps, so that immigration authorities can easily check that you have the necessary authorisation when you enter or leave the country. There are costs associated with the various visas and permits, but in the case of foreign workers these are normally met by your employer. Note that the prices quoted below should be taken as a guide only, as they’re subject to change, as are the conditions and requirements; the relevant state’s embassy or consulate can provide you with the current information.
Visitor VisaValid for three or six months, these are obtained from Kuwaiti embassies and consulates or via a Kuwaiti sponsor, who will apply to the Ministry of the Interior in Kuwait. Hotels also arrange visas for their guests (see above). A three-month visa costs around $45 (£30), a six-month visa around $72 (£48). Multiple entry visas may be issued upon application to Kuwaiti embassies and consulates; these are usually granted for the purpose of repeat business trips. They cost around $100 (£66) for six months, $110 (£75) for a year, $150 (£100) for two years and $120 (£180) for five years.
Residence VisaIf you’re going to work in Kuwait, you need a residence visa. First, you must obtain an NOC, which is provided by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour following application by your sponsor. If making arrangements prior to entry, your next step is to submit the NOC to the Ministry of the Interior. If you arrive on a visitor visa (see above), your sponsor will apply for an NOC and on receipt of this will apply directly to the Ministry of the Interior for your residence visa. When you receive approval for the visa, you must leave the country and return, with your NOC (although this requirement is sometimes waived); your residence visa will be issued shortly afterwards. A medical examination is required, including an HIV/AIDS test. Once you’ve obtained your a residence visa, you will be issued with a ‘Civil ID’ card, which must be carried at all times. As in the other Gulf states, your sponsor normally takes care of these administrative matters, leaving you simply to follow instructions.
Employment prospects
Kuwait allows plenty of foreign workers into its territory, but almost exclusively on a temporary basis.
Expatriates aren’t generally allowed to become part of the permanent population. Foreign workers are dealt with in a fair but controlled way, paid and treated well, and at the end of their time in the region, thanked and rewarded for their efforts. On the other hand, the government is conscious of the need to provide decent jobs with career paths for their own young people, who are increasingly educated and aware of the attractions of the outside world – many attend universities in the USA or UK. Having made major investments in education and social welfare, they hope that eventually Kuwait will become almost self-sufficient in terms of labour.
A majority of outside observers, however, believe that expatriates will have a substantial role to play for many years to come, and it seems likely that expatriates will continue to be important for the next two or three decades, although there will undoubtedly be changes in the number of people employed and the type of skills required. For example, the vast construction projects currently found throughout the region (e.g. road systems, airports, ports and trading zones) will become less numerous, with a resulting decline in the number of manual workers required. Commercial development, however, will lead to further building programmes as Kuwait’s economy continues to grow. Managerial, professional and particularly technological experience will still be in strong demand for many years to come. But there will be none of the mass immigration and resulting demands for citizenship that have been experienced in western societies, or the current trend of economic refugees looking for a better way of life. Kuwait will simply not allow it. Foreigners cannot become citizens or own land and property, although there appears to be some lessening of the restrictions, certainly as regards owning one’s own business.
There are other general issues to consider: you’re contemplating a move to a culture that’s almost certainly different to your own; will the way of life, and particularly the restrictions imposed on you, suit you? Will the relocation benefit your long-term career prospects? Will your family (especially any children) cope with and benefit from the move? What impact will it have on their education and employment prospects? If you aspire to be your own boss, as many people do, be aware that starting a business in the region can prove difficult and that you will almost always be required to have a local partner who has a majority holding. Is that acceptable to you?
The Middle East has been the scene of considerable conflict and unrest in recent decades, although the Gulf states are generally safe places to live and work. However, before travelling anywhere in the Middle East, it’s wise to obtain advice from your country’s foreign office. Note also that homosexuality is regarded as a criminal offence throughout the region.
You should ideally have a firm offer of employment before travelling to Kuwait. Speculative visits are occasionally successful, but you need to be notably lucky and have high-grade qualifications and experience to stand any chance. In addition, you will almost certainly need knowledgeable local contacts and have done some research into the types of company which would most value your experience.
KuwaitKuwait is the third-largest oil producer in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It has great wealth and is of tremendous strategic importance, as was shown by the world’s response to the Iraqi invasion of 1990/91. The Iraqi invasion had a significant impact on the Kuwaiti economy, both in terms of damage to the oil industry and exports and because of the cost of paying the military forces called in to eject the Iraqis. Kuwait and its people also lost a significant portion of their wealth through its unlawful ‘confiscation’ by the Iraqis. In spite of this, however, much of the country’s assets were safely invested overseas and the government in exile managed to retain control of these vital resources.
Since the war, the economy has gradually recovered, and recent oil price increases are allowing further expansion. (Kuwait’s financial assets were greatly, if momentarily, diminished by the decision to compensate its people for losses suffered as a result of the Iraqi conflict.) Foreign investment has increased, largely as a result of a decree of 1999, which approved the 100 per cent foreign ownership of certain companies registered in the country, a significant departure from the original ruling of a maximum equity holding of 49 per cent. These companies will be those that contribute to a more diverse economy and the provision of advanced technology and industry.
Oil production and associated downstream industries, including refining and petrochemicals, account for around 90 per cent of foreign earnings and nearly three quarters of Kuwait’s gross domestic product, which is estimated at around $30 billion annually. Kuwait has tremendous reserves of oil, with an estimated 90 billion barrels in the Burgan area alone. Oil production is estimated to be around 1.8 million barrels per day, with the majority of oil exports sent east. The Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC) controls the country’s oil interests, including many overseas downstream assets, in addition to home production. Kuwait Petroleum International has several refineries in Europe and the Far East, and operates the thousands of Q8 petrol service stations in those regions.
The petrochemicals industry has recently diversified and produces polyethylene, polypropylene, fertilisers and other products for export to Kuwait’s neighbours and international markets. A free trade zone in the port of Al-Shuwaikh is expected to encourage further diversification of the overall economy and the development of trade with neighbouring countries and the Far East. Local and international investors in the industrial, service and commercial sectors are encouraged by the 100 per cent foreign ownership concession, with no corporate taxes or currency restrictions and the free movement of funds. New highways and the modern shipping port at Shuaiba add to the attraction of the zone.
Kuwait has a healthy financial and banking sector, with commercial banks owned by the government or by wealthy trading families. The National Bank of Kuwait is the main retail bank, with over 35 branches. Other banks, such as the Commercial Bank of Kuwait and The Credit and Savings Bank, also offer full service banking facilities. The Industrial Bank of Kuwait deals mainly with the funding of industrial, manufacturing and agricultural programmes. The Central Bank of Kuwait is responsible for regulating the financial industry as a whole. The Kuwait Stock Exchange was successfully reopened in 1992, after experiencing major problems following its initial formation in 1977 and the suspension of trading during the Iraqi conflict. Other significant financial institutions include (ARIG) the Arab Reinsurance Group, which deals with major insurance such as aviation and shipping.
Kuwait’s telecommunications network is state-of-the-art, well able to meet the demands of the rapidly developing economy. Agriculture and fishing, on the other hand, which are among the country’s traditional industries, contribute relatively little to the gross domestic product, and Kuwait relies heavily on food imports.
A downturn in oil prices in 1998/99 prompted the Kuwaiti government to to reduce the dependency on state subsidies by moving towards the privatisation of its consumer utilities, electricity, health etc. This process continues, with proposals to privatise the airline and telecommunications industries and to encourage foreign investment.
Kuwait is a significant member of the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council), enjoys vast resources and has largely overcome the serious problems experienced as a result of the Iraqi invasion. The repatriation of foreign workers at the start of that conflict allowed the authorities to adjust the volume and nationalities of foreign workers permitted to return when the conflict was over. (Workers from countries or groups of people whose sympathies were believed to lie with Iraq – notably Palestinians and Yemenis – weren’t allowed to return.) The expatriate work force is concentrated in oil-related activities and the service sector.
Sponsorship
What is a sponsor?
All foreigners require a local sponsor in order to visit Kuwait (whether on holiday or business) or live and work there.
Whereas in the west the word ‘sponsor’ is commonly used of individuals or businesses paying to have their names associated with an artistic or sporting event, in the Gulf it has a quite different meaning: a sponsor acts as a sort of guardian as well as guarantor and must undertake all administrative work (i.e. paperwork) on behalf of the foreigner, including applying for a work and residence visa, opening a bank account and signing a rental accommodation contract. A sponsor can be an individual, a company or an institution. In the case of employees, your employer usually also acts as your sponsor; visitors may be sponsored by a business partner or associate or by the hotel in which they’re staying. Those aiming to do business or set up a business in Kuwait should research the local business environment, establish contacts and find an individual or company with a good reputation and experience in the relevant field to act as your sponsor, who will expect remuneration for his services.
The sponsorship system is an effective form of immigration control. As your sponsor is responsible for you and ‘takes the rap’ if you misbehave or contravene any regulations (which will also involve him in loss of ‘face’ in the community), he automatically checks that you’re reliable and trustworthy, as well as ensuring that you don’t inadvertently step out of line. For this reason, your sponsor is an important source of help and advice and a valuable ‘ally’. Note that there is talk of the sponsorship requirement being waived in some states, particularly for foreigners wanting to set up businesses in the free trade zones, but this hadn’t happened at the time of publication.
Working conditions
Salary & Working hours
Salaries in Kuwait are usually similar to or greater than those paid in western countries.
But because the region has no personal taxation, net income is usually much greater, which is one of the major attractions of working in Kuwait. In the past, remuneration packages were split into various elements: basic salary, car provision or allowance, housing provision or allowance, medical cover, education for children and air tickets for home visits. Today, however, employers tend just to pay a salary, which covers all these expenses, although in some cases there are performance or other bonuses.
In addition to their salary, contract workers are awarded an ‘indemnity’ at the end of the contract period. The indemnity is usually based on basic salary excluding any bonuses. The indemnity can be a significant amount of money if you’ve been working in Kuwait for a long time, and many people manage either to accumulate a reasonable financial cushion or to live the high life. If you’re clever and disciplined, you should be able to do some of both. The indemnity has nothing to do with insurance but is an end-of-contract bonus which is required by law to be paid to expatriate workers as a sort of ‘thank-you’ for being of service to the state. (It’s also known as ‘end of service benefits’.) Indemnity scales usually amount to 15 (in some cases 20) days of basic pay per year of employment for the first three years and thereafter a month’s salary per year of employment.
Note that some Arab companies regularly delay the payment of salaries, cash flow problems being passed on to their staff. In this event, you have little alternative but to wait.
Working Hours & OvertimeThe working week in Kuwait tends to vary between 40 and 48 hours, depending on the particular company’s policy. Office hours are usually from 8.30 or 9.00 am to 5.30 or 6.00 pm. There are no differences in time keeping between summer and winter. In the month of Ramadan, the working day is reduced to six hours and legally this should apply to all staff, but many companies only apply it to Muslims, who fast during daylight hours.
Friday is the Muslim rest day and, if your company has a five-day working week, the other day off will probably be either Thursday or Saturday. Saturday is the more popular choice for international companies, as taking Thursday off would mean a reduction in the number of operational days in common with much of the rest of the world. Conversely, other companies insist on Thursday, as the school ‘weekend’ is Thursday and Friday.
