The Ministry of Education has initiated the first phase of a restructuring plan that will end the contracts of 7019 teachers from Arab and other nationalities, with Education Minister Jalal Al-Tabtabai directing relevant departments to proceed according to identified staffing needs in public schools. Affected teachers will receive official notices exclusively through the Sahel government application in line with administrative and legal regulations that preserve their employment entitlements. The ministry’s assessment projects that this initial step will generate savings of approximately 42 million dinars per year from the salary budget while aligning educator numbers more closely with actual school requirements. Implementation has already started following a comprehensive study that highlighted surpluses across multiple specializations.
Ministry figures show that Kuwait’s total teaching workforce numbers 91761 instructors excluding supervisors, with Kuwaiti nationals accounting for 70.6 percent of the total. Gulf teachers along with those classified as illegal residents represent 10.1 percent according to the same data, while instructors from Arab and other nationalities comprise the remaining 19.3 percent. The current action focuses exclusively on the latter category in fields where overstaffing was confirmed. The ministry stated that appointments going forward will tie directly to verified school needs rather than blanket hiring practices.
A ministry study identified the overall surplus at 33268 teachers across Kuwaiti and contracted staff in various subjects, with physical education and Islamic studies among those showing the most significant excesses. The phased approach approved by Al-Tabtabai prioritizes reductions based on appointment seniority to minimize disruption to the educational process. Relevant sectors have already begun executive procedures for the terminations. One report indicated that 78 percent of those affected in this phase are female teachers.
The Ministry of Education has emphasized that recruitment of expatriate teachers will continue in specializations where qualified Kuwaiti candidates remain insufficient to meet demand. This first phase forms part of a broader Kuwaitization strategy that has unfolded over several years. Earlier measures included the termination of 83 expatriate specialists in Islamic studies and Quranic sciences in 2025 as well as a five-year plan outlined in April 2026 targeting thousands more in eight specific subjects.
Notifications dispatched via the Sahel platform ensure that all procedures adhere strictly to established rules while safeguarding the rights of departing staff. The ministry has instructed all departments to maintain uniform application of the policy across governorates. Officials noted that the reductions will not apply uniformly to every teaching field. This step represents one of the largest single-phase adjustments to the teaching workforce in Kuwait’s educational history.
Further phases of the surplus reduction plan will depend on ongoing evaluations of school staffing indicators and the availability of national talent. The Ministry of Education has indicated that the overall process aims to enhance efficiency in both human resources and financial management without compromising educational quality. Data from the initial study will continue to guide decisions on where to expand Kuwaiti participation in the coming academic years.
