KUWAIT CITY, July 6: Abdulaziz Al-Ali, Director General and Advisor to the Union of Owners of Domestic Workers Recruitment Offices, announced that an urgent virtual meeting took place Friday, via Zoom. The meeting, attended by union head Khaled Al-Dakhnan and his Filipino counterpart, aimed to update both parties on the latest developments in resuming the recruitment of workers from Manila and to outline the necessary steps before the workers return to Kuwait.

Al-Ali explained that this meeting followed another between the Philippine Federation and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor in Manila. They discussed the provisions of the regulation on the controls and requirements for exporting labor, which includes the recruitment steps and the necessary paperwork for local Kuwaiti offices to conclude initial work contracts, known as “job orders.”

Al-Ali noted that the Philippine Federation approved the regulation on July 22nd. Starting July 23rd, local offices will be allowed to review the labor attaché at the Philippine embassy in Kuwait to submit job order applications.

Regarding the cost of recruitment, Al-Ali stated that it has not yet been finalized. He mentioned that the Ministry of Commerce is reconsidering the recently issued decision on set prices. According to the Philippine Federation, maintaining the current decision without adjusting the recruitment cost based on nationality could hinder the recruitment of Filipino workers. The recruitment cost specified is reportedly too low for offices in Manila, the cheapest among Gulf countries, to agree to.

Al-Ali emphasized that local recruitment offices are fully prepared to begin bringing in domestic workers from the Philippines. The Kuwaiti market is in dire need of these workers due to the scarcity of other exporting countries that Kuwait deals with and the significant void left by Filipino workers since the ban on their recruitment. Filipino domestic workers are particularly valued for their ease of communication, quality care, good educational level, and familiarity with Kuwaiti customs and traditions.

The decision by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, No. 2 of 2024, set the price of recruiting domestic workers, including the travel ticket, at 750 dinars from Asian countries, 575 from African countries, and 350 for the special passport submitted by the sponsor. This decision has negatively affected the quality of workers arriving in Kuwait, as the age of the workers has increased, making them less suitable for most Kuwaiti and expatriate families who prefer younger, more active workers.