KUWAIT CITY, May 19: Abdulaziz Al-Ali, Director and Advisor to the Union of Owners of Domestic Workers Recruitment Offices, announced promising signs of an upcoming meeting between Kuwait and the Philippines. This meeting aims to revive bilateral discussions and bridge the gap between the two nations, ensuring the resumption of sending new domestic workers from Manila. Al-Ali expressed optimism, especially with Philippines Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac's involvement, which has sparked hope among stakeholders interested in domestic workers.

In an interview with Al-Jarida, Al-Ali highlighted the significant presence of Filipino domestic workers in Kuwait, noting they constitute about 50% of the domestic workforce. He emphasized the importance of this demographic for Kuwaiti and expatriate families, who prefer Filipino workers for their ease of communication, good educational background, and understanding of local customs and traditions. Replacing this workforce with another capable of filling the void left in the market is challenging, making Filipino workers highly sought after.

Al-Ali urged relevant government agencies to act swiftly and earnestly to facilitate the proposed meeting, aiming to finalize bilateral discussions and reach comprehensive agreements. These talks are crucial to resolving previous contentious issues that led to the ban on Filipino workers in Kuwait. He extended his gratitude to Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef, the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior, for his willingness to welcome visitors to Kuwait under the appropriate legal frameworks.

Moreover, Al-Ali stressed the importance of signing more memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with various labor-exporting countries, beyond just two or three. He argued that diversifying the sources of domestic workers would help reduce recruitment costs and maintain market balance if any country temporarily halts worker exports for any reason.