KUWAIT CITY, Aug 8: As the 3-day deadline for Dr. Noura Al-Mishaan, the Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs, to decide on the termination of all expatriates with university degrees in the municipality draws to a close today, municipal authorities are awaiting a directive from Eng. Saud Al-Dubos, the Director of Kuwait Municipality. This decision will determine the fate of expatriates in various roles, including those with qualifications in law, engineering, accounting, and other administrative fields, as well as expatriate legal advisors in the Legal Department and affiliated offices.

Municipal sources have expressed concern that the rapid 72-hour timeframe for implementing the terminations could disrupt municipal operations. The short period is deemed insufficient for training new Kuwaiti employees to take over the roles of the departing expatriates. The municipality’s departments are currently reviewing the decision from a legal standpoint to determine the appropriate course of action, given that many of the affected employees are under contracts managed by the Civil Service Bureau.

Previously, the municipality had coordinated with the Bureau to implement a gradual replacement plan to increase the number of national employees without compromising operational efficiency. Newly appointed national staff will require gradual training to handle the roles effectively, and the municipality plans to organize special training courses for positions in engineering, control, administration, and finance.

The decision by Al-Mishaan follows two similar previous initiatives that caused disruptions and delays in replacement efforts. The first was in 2020 under former Minister Walid Al-Jassem, who ordered the termination of half of the expatriate employees in the municipality. This was followed by former Minister of Municipality Dr. Rana Al-Fares, who introduced a 3-stage plan to Kuwaitize municipal jobs. This plan began with the termination of 33% of non-Kuwaiti employees starting in 2022, while exempting non-Kuwaiti employees with a Kuwaiti mother, citizens of GCC countries, stateless permanent residents registered with the Central Agency for Illegal Residents, service employees, and 50% of funeral department staff.