Kuwait has introduced new restrictions on the recruitment of domestic workers, effectively barring applicants from Nigeria, Kenya and 22 other African countries, along with two Asian nations, under a revised labour policy that tightens access to one of the Gulf’s most important employment channels.
Under the new rules, recruitment will now be limited to a shortlist of approved source countries, including South Africa, Benin, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam and Nepal, while Senegal will remain open only for male domestic workers. Recruitment procedures will be handled through governorate-level service centres, according to local reports.
The restricted list includes major African labour-sending countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali and Angola, alongside Nigeria and Kenya. The decision was reportedly based on recommendations from several government bodies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Public Authority for Manpower.
The move is expected to reshape domestic labour flows into Kuwait, where foreign workers fill a significant share of household jobs. It also highlights the growing use of administrative controls in Gulf labour markets, with the updated policy likely to affect both recruitment agencies and thousands of potential workers across Africa and Asia.
