Kuwait municipal inspection teams discovered a kitchen infested with cockroaches and extreme overcrowding at accommodation provided by a delivery company for its workers, according to details released following the operation this week. The teams documented the presence of insects in food preparation areas alongside workers housed in a single room that exceeded legal occupancy limits. Municipal officials have referred the case for further legal review while ordering immediate corrective measures at the site. The inspection forms part of ongoing campaigns targeting substandard worker housing across the country.
The Public Authority for Manpower set new regulations in January 2025 that limit rooms to no more than four workers and require prior approval for all employer-provided accommodation, PAM statements show. Employers failing to meet the standards must pay housing allowances equivalent to 25 percent of salary for minimum-wage staff and 15 percent for others, according to the authority’s guidelines. These updates followed years of documented violations in labor housing and aim to improve conditions for the expatriate workforce that constitutes the majority of employees in sectors such as delivery and logistics.
A 2024 fire in Mangaf that the civil defence authority said killed at least 49 migrant workers prompted intensified government inspections of worker residences, Times Kuwait reported in June 2024. Teams examining areas including Fahaheel, Mangaf and Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh found frequent overcrowding, poor sanitation and safety breaches in many buildings used for labor housing. The tragedy accelerated plans to develop dedicated worker complexes as alternatives to informal and substandard options.
Government plans call for 12 new residential complexes for migrant workers, including six worker cities with capacity for around 275,000 people, according to announcements from the Public Authority for Housing Welfare. Construction has begun on several sites, among them a 40,000-square-metre complex in Subhan for 3,000 residents and larger developments in northern West Shuaiba for approximately 56,000 people. The projects respond to repeated findings of unsafe conditions in existing accommodations and seek to provide regulated alternatives.
Delivery and platform economy workers often face particular vulnerabilities in housing arrangements because companies subcontract services while deducting costs from commission-based earnings, a 2025 UN human rights working group document noted. Many such employees live in employer-provided rooms that fail to meet basic standards for space, ventilation and hygiene. Kuwait’s expatriate population exceeds 3.3 million according to Public Authority for Civil Information figures, amplifying the effect of any shortcomings in accommodation rules.
Municipal authorities continue joint operations with the ministries of interior, electricity and health as well as the Public Authority for Manpower to identify and address violations, municipal statements confirm. Inspectors have authority to disconnect utilities from non-compliant buildings and issue fines or referrals to prosecution. The campaigns emphasize that sustainable solutions require both enforcement and expanded supply of compliant housing units.
