Workers at the delivery firm documented cockroaches crawling across kitchen counters and food preparation areas in photographs they shared with local media outlets. Multiple employees described being housed together in one room equipped with only basic facilities that quickly became overwhelmed. The situation has raised concerns about potential health risks both for the workers and for customers receiving food deliveries from the company. Accounts indicated that requests for improvements had gone unheeded prior to the public disclosure.
The complaints surface against the backdrop of a government crackdown on substandard worker housing that followed a fatal fire in Mangaf in June 2024. Kuwait’s civil defence authority put the death toll at 49, the vast majority of them Indian migrant workers living in overcrowded and illegally modified buildings. The New York Times reported that the tragedy exposed how low wages and limited bargaining power leave many migrants with few options beyond substandard accommodation despite regulatory standards.
Kuwaiti regulations limit rooms to no more than four workers while requiring minimum space per person, adequate ventilation, air conditioning and sufficient toilets. The Irish Times noted in its coverage of the Mangaf aftermath that many employers ignore these rules, with six or more people frequently sharing tiny spaces in subdivided apartments. Such conditions have contributed to repeated outbreaks of hygiene problems across labor accommodations in areas such as Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and Fahaheel.
Delivery sector employees often face additional pressures that compound housing difficulties, according to accounts gathered by Kuwait Times. Drivers commonly work shifts of 12 to 14 hours in extreme heat while striving to meet high monthly order targets that directly affect their commission-based pay. Many originate from South Asian countries and remit the bulk of their earnings home, leaving little margin for better private housing and forcing reliance on employer-provided rooms.
Public Authority for Civil Information figures show Kuwait’s expatriate population exceeds 3.3 million, forming the backbone of the private sector including logistics and delivery services. A Times Kuwait review of labor residences after the 2024 fire found widespread overcrowding, overflowing sewage and inadequate sanitation in multiple compounds. Authorities have responded with increased inspections and closures of non-compliant buildings, though workers frequently report being displaced without viable alternatives.
Similar enforcement actions have targeted illegal home-based food operations that violated health standards, the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition stated in updates on recent campaigns. In one May 2026 operation, inspectors discovered unhygienic kitchens operating without licenses and employing staff lacking health certificates. These parallel efforts underscore ongoing attempts to address both commercial food safety and worker living standards across the emirate.
