KUWAIT CITY, July 7: Abdulaziz Al-Ali, Director General and Advisor to the Union of Owners of Domestic Workers Recruitment Offices, has disclosed details of an urgent virtual meeting held recently via Zoom, reports Al- Jarida daily. This meeting involved Khaled Al- Dakhnan, President of the Union, and his Filipino counterpart, to discuss updates on the resumption of domestic worker recruitment from Manila to Kuwait. Al-Ali highlighted that prior to this, the Philippine side had a crucial meeting with the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor in Manila to finalize guidelines for labor export, known as the “Guideline.”

These guidelines include recruitment procedures, required documentation, and the “job order,” which Kuwaiti local offices must provide to initiate employment contracts. According to Al-Ali, the Filipino side informed them that the finalized guidelines are expected to be approved by July 22, after which local offices can begin submitting “job order” applications to the labor attaché at the embassy on July 23. Regarding recruitment costs, Al-Ali mentioned that this remains unresolved, especially amidst reports of the Ministry of Commerce reconsidering recent price-setting decisions.

The Philippine side indicated their preference to maintain current cost structures without nationality-based adjustments, which could impact the feasibility of recruiting Filipino workers due to competitive pricing pressures in the Gulf region. Local recruitment offices are fully prepared to resume bringing in domestic workers from the Philippines, addressing a critical need in the market left by the absence of Filipino workers since the import ban. Filipino domestic workers are highly valued for their communication skills, caregiving abilities, educational backgrounds, and familiarity with Kuwaiti customs and traditions. The impact of Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Resolution No. 2 of 2024, which standardized recruitment costs, including travel tickets, has been noted as potentially detrimental to the quality and suitability of incoming workers for Kuwaiti and expatriate families.