KUWAIT CITY, April 24: Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah has announced that instructions have been issued to the Minister of Finance Noura Al-Fassam to approve the retirement applications of women whose citizenship was revoked under Article 8 of the Nationality Law, and grant them the same treatment as Kuwaiti citizens. In a press statement, Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef explained that the directive applies to cases where the individuals were still employed at the time of the revocation and meet the eligibility criteria for retirement, specifically, 15 years of service and a minimum age of 50, under the Public Institution for Social Security Law No. 61/1976 (Article 17, Clause 5).

The qualifying service period must not include any days of absence, unpaid leave, or previously compensated service periods that were excluded at the employee’s request. Once the Civil Service Commission (CSC) verifies that the individuals in question were not employed under contractual terms with their respective employers, they will be allowed to proceed with retirement procedures, similar to other female retirees whose citizenship was revoked under Article 8 and who have already received their pensions. Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef affirmed that these instructions are being implemented in line with the Cabinet’s decision issued during its December 2024 meeting, based on Law No. 158/2024, which amended Article 16 of the Nationality Law No. 15/1959. The amended law includes clause stating that, “The Cabinet may, by decision, retain some of these rights or benefits if it deems it to be in the public interest.” In a related development, the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) announced in a press release that the national labor subsidy for 3,098 individuals for April will be deposited into their bank accounts on Thursday. In addition, retroactive payments will be included with their May salaries.

PAM clarified that this step is based on Cabinet’s Resolution No. 420/2025, which ensures the continued disbursement of national labor support to female workers in the private sector whose citizenship was withdrawn or revoked under Article 8. The move also reflects the directives of the Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, who emphasized the importance of upholding justice and protecting the rights of female employees of the private sector

By Saud Al-Farhan Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff