Kuwait denies cutting number of Egyptian workers

Kuwaiti and Egyptian officials have denied reports that the Gulf state is cutting back on the number of Egyptian workers permitted to work in the country.

Egyptian Minister of Immigration and Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram reiterated that Kuwait’s ambassador to Egypt has strongly denied any intention to reduce the number of Egyptian citizens in Kuwait.

She added that she met Mohammed Saleh Al-Thuwayyekh to discuss enhancing co-operation between both countries as part of bilateral cooperation in various fields.

She then said the most prominent problem facing the Egyptian community in Kuwait is the sponsorship system, in which foreign residents need a Kuwaiti national to sponsor their visas. Makram also highlighted that she has been in constant contact with relevant Kuwaiti authorities to resolve the Egyptian teachers’ rent allowance problem.

Prior to this, Egyptian labour attaché in Kuwait Mohammed Safan said 1,200 job opportunities were made for Egyptians since September and that more were yet to materialise in the near future.