KUWAIT CITY, Nov 24: The Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) revealed that the number of expatriates in Kuwait without a university degree reached 2,899,191 in June. This figure includes different levels of education and reflects the demographics of the country’s expatriate workforce. This announcement coincides with the planned removal of health insurance fees for expatriates aged 60 and over without a university degree. The move follows a Court of Appeal ruling in March, which upheld a lower court decision to repeal Administrative Decision No. 27 of 2021 regarding the regulation of work permits.

According to statistics obtained by Al-Seyassah/Arab Times, the number of expatriates with university degrees fell to 143,488, including 6,561 people with postgraduate degrees (masters and doctorates). In contrast, the data indicates that 82,040 workers are classified as illiterate.

In addition:

The “read and write” category includes 954,747 individuals.

Workers with primary education number 112,933.

Those with intermediate education number 654,738.

The report also notes that expats aged 20 and over make up the majority of people without a college degree. Kuwait’s total expatriate population is estimated at approximately 3,358,645 people.

In the same vein, informed sources from the Public Authority for Manpower have announced changes in the regulation of transfers in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. The period required for the transfer of workers in this sector has been reduced from three years to one year, provided that the promoter approves the transfer.

The sources clarified that it is not permissible to allow transfers from the SME sector to the private sector. The adjustment aims to address challenges faced by failing projects and operational difficulties, enabling better utilization of workers in small and medium-sized enterprises.