Nigeria has been officially included in a list of 27 nations banned from exporting domestic labour to the Gulf country of Kuwait.
The restriction, implemented via a new circular from Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior, marks a significant shift in the Gulf state’s bilateral labour relations and narrows its recruitment pool to just 10 approved countries.
Under the updated regulations, Kuwait has prohibited the recruitment of domestic workers from major 27 African and Asian suppliers of labour such as Madagascar, Bhutan, and African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Togo, Malawi, Chad, Djibouti, Niger, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Angola.
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Conversely, recruitment remains open to South Africa, Benin, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, and Nepal. For Senegal, recruitment is strictly limited to male workers.
According to Kuwaiti authorities, the policy is the result of a coordinated review by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and the Public Authority for Manpower to strengthen regulatory oversight and streamline administrative controls within the domestic service sector.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), foreign workers make up approximately 70 percent of Kuwait’s total population and represent the vast majority of the country’s workforce. The expat labour landscape is divided into the private sector and the domestic labour sector, both governed by the Kefala (sponsorship) system, where an employer must act as the legal sponsor to secure a residency permit (Iqama).
The most in-demand jobs in Kuwait for foreigners are healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, and pharmacists), Information Technology (IT) specialists, English teachers, and roles within the oil & gas sector.
Reports by ZipRecruiter, a job search platform, indicate that Kuwait’s labour market relies heavily on expatriate talent, especially in specific sectors where local skills are scarce.
Kuwait’s labour market relies heavily on expatriate talent, especially in specific sectors where local skills are scarce.
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Primary drivers of skilled worker migration to Kuwait
Kuwait is a small country located at the top of the Gulf region, and surrounded by Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran.
It is a high income county backed by the world’s sixth-largest oil reserves, which makes it one of the world’s richest countries per capita.
It also stands out from the other Gulf monarchies for having the most open political system.
Nigerians and other nations have been attracted to work in Kuwait by its tax-free, high-earning potential, robust job opportunities in both skilled and semi-skilled sectors, and a relatively straightforward visa and relocation process compared to Western destinations like the United Kingdom or Canada.
The primary drivers of migration to Kuwait have been its:
Favourable earning potential: Kuwait has no personal income tax, and the Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) is one of the strongest currencies in the world. Workers can earn between 200–500 KWD (~ $650–$1,600) for semi-skilled roles and up to 1,000–3,500 KWD (~ $3,200–$1,100) for skilled professions.
Lower relocation costs: Processing a work visa and flights for Kuwait is significantly cheaper and requires less proof-of-funds than moving to Europe or North America.
Employer-sponsored benefits: Many employment contracts include heavily subsidised or free company-provided housing, transport, and medical insurance, allowing workers to easily save and send money home.
Easier transition to Western countries: Many Nigerian professionals and tradespeople view Kuwait as a stepping stone. It allows them to build international work experience, generate a solid travel history, and save funds to eventually apply for relocation to Europe or North America.
Sector demand: Kuwait has a continuous demand for foreign labor across sectors like oil and gas, engineering, healthcare, information technology, hospitality, facility management, and domestic work.
The new directives surrounding the ban have already been distributed to Kuwait’s residency affairs departments and service centres, with implementation managed directly through the country’s governorates.
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