Migrant labor and citizens in Kuwait: (Mis)managing Kuwaitization and the demographic imbalance

Abstract

To address overreliance on oil revenues and migrant labor, Kuwait has implemented economic and labor reforms, with Kuwaitization being the most prominent. Although intended to address labor imbalances, Kuwaitization’s implementation history suggests that it has largely served as a superficial response to recent economic challenges. This article critically examines the policy through a political economy lens, arguing that it has neither disrupted Kuwait’s rentier model nor reduced its dependence on migrant labor. Unless coupled with comprehensive reforms promoting economic diversification and national skill development, Kuwaitization remains an unsustainable strategy, aimed at upholding the existing Kuwaiti social contract.