Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower announced on June 22, 2026, that expatriate workers may now amend their registered academic qualifications or professions if these align with the job title and the actual work performed, according to Ministerial Circular No. 1 of 2026 issued by Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef. The First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and chairman of the authority’s board framed the measure as a step to develop the labor market while increasing efficiency, transparency and flexibility to address employer needs in different sectors. The provisions took effect earlier in June and are expected to reduce inconsistencies in official workforce records.
Sources at the Public Authority for Manpower stated that amendments would proceed only under approved management and in line with established procedures and controls once compatibility is verified. The circular allows modifications that help match documented details to real job functions performed by the worker. Such changes are anticipated to produce more precise labor data that better reflects demands across economic sectors in the country.
Engineer Rabab Al-Osaimi has directed the Public Authority for Manpower’s regulatory initiatives aimed at ensuring registered professions correspond to actual sector requirements. The authority’s efforts also seek to reconcile employer operational needs with protections for workers’ rights. Al-Osaimi oversaw the preparation of the latest circular as part of sustained labor market oversight.
The Ministerial Circular No. 1 of 2026 additionally confirms continued development of the Unified Kuwaiti Guide for Occupational Description and Classification. This resource will standardize professional titles and classifications to raise the quality of labor market information available to officials. Accurate data from the guide is expected to improve policymaking on employment issues and workforce planning according to the authority.
Public Authority for Civil Information figures place Kuwait’s expatriate population at roughly 3.3 million, comprising more than two-thirds of total residents and underscoring the importance of precise qualification records. The new allowances follow a 2025 suspension of many such amendments under a prior circular that restricted upgrades inconsistent with original recruitment purposes. The Public Authority for Manpower issued Ministerial Circular No. 1 of 2025 in May of that year to enforce job specialization and fairness in the private sector.
Reports on the 2025 restrictions noted that changes conflicting with Public Authority for Manpower regulations on professional alignment would remain barred in most cases. The 2026 circular introduces targeted flexibility where proof of compatibility exists between registered data and performed duties. This adjustment forms part of iterative policy refinements addressing labor market conditions over the past year.
