The Times Kuwait Report
For workers who rely on their monthly salaries to pay rent, meet household expenses and support families back home, going without wages for months can mean mounting debts and growing uncertainty. Kuwait is stepping up action against employers who fail to pay salaries, with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah warning that labour violations will no longer be tolerated and that the law will apply equally to all.
Authorities are examining the files of around 10,000 companies over unpaid wages. In some cases, workers reportedly went as long as 18 months without receiving their salaries. In response, the government is suspending company files, checking salary payments more closely and taking steps to hold employers accountable across the private sector.
Speaking at a meeting with company owners and representatives of the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM), Sheikh Fahad stressed that employers must fulfil their obligations to workers, regardless of nationality or the ownership of the business. He warned that companies found violating the rules could face the suspension of all related files and licences, rather than action being limited to the specific file in which the violation occurred.
The minister also raised concerns about questionable company arrangements, the misuse of commercial licences and suspected money laundering. Citing cases discussed during the meeting, he said 70 million dinars had circulated through three companies, one of which operated under a restaurant licence with only one registered employee. He also highlighted a case in which a Kuwaiti citizen was officially registered as earning 3,000 dinars a month but reportedly received only 180 dinars.
Such practices, he warned, could expose workers and citizens to exploitation while damaging Kuwait’s international standing and raising concerns over financial transparency.
Salary monitoring moves into sharper focus
PAM Director-General Eng. Rabab Al-Osaimi said the authority had suspended 8,849 company files by the end of June 2026 for wage-payment violations. The figure represented 18.3 percent of the 48,408 registered company files employing five or more workers. In the meantime, the latest enforcement drive has targeted around 10,000 company files for non-compliance with salary-payment requirements. Authorities have stressed that employers must regularise their records and meet their obligations to workers.
There are also signs of improvement in compliance. PAM reported that wage-payment compliance reached 75.6 percent in July 2026, compared with 38.7 percent in the same month last year. Companies submitted 93,865 applications through the wage collection system between January and September, up from 31,757 during the corresponding period in 2025.
To strengthen oversight further, PAM is coordinating with the Central Bank of Kuwait on additional procedures to verify salary transfers and establish whether wages recorded as paid have actually been received by the employees. The proposed measures are intended to identify discrepancies and make it harder for employers to conceal non-payment through official records.
Al-Osaimi has also urged companies to designate staff responsible for salary documentation and ensure that the required information is submitted through PAM’s electronic systems. She warned that failure to meet wage-payment requirements could result in immediate file suspension.
Home-delivery service sector also under scrutiny
The meeting also addressed labour and regulatory violations in the home-delivery sector, where concerns include excessive working hours and compliance with traffic rules. Sheikh Fahad said around 300 delivery workers had been deported following a campaign to enforce traffic regulations. He urged companies to recruit suitably qualified and experienced workers and ensure that their operations comply with applicable rules. He also criticised practices that force delivery workers for excessive hours and highlighted unsafe riding practices that can contribute to accidents. Employers, he stressed, must not use alleged worker violations as a justification for withholding salaries.
The wider message was that businesses must take responsibility for the people they employ, including ensuring that wages and other contractual entitlements are paid in full.
Amir’s directive on access to government services
Alongside the labour enforcement measures, Sheikh Fahad recalled His Highness the Amir’s directive to keep government doors open to citizens. He instructed PAM officials to dedicate one day each week, from 8am to 1pm, to receiving citizens and hearing their concerns.
The move is intended to provide a more direct channel for people seeking assistance with employment-related and administrative matters. The minister also called for more accessible procedures while making clear that those who violate the law must be held accountable.
A stronger message to employers
The government’s latest measures signal a broader effort to make wage compliance a fundamental condition of doing business in Kuwait. Authorities are pursuing closer electronic monitoring, stricter administrative action and stronger coordination to identify employers who fail to meet their obligations.
For workers, particularly expatriates supporting families across borders, regular salary payments are not simply an administrative requirement; they are the foundation of financial security. Delayed wages can leave employees struggling to cover basic expenses even as they continue to work. For employers, the message is equally clear: company registrations and licences do not provide protection from accountability. Businesses must maintain transparent records, comply with labour regulations and ensure that every worker receives the wages and entitlements legally due.
As Kuwait intensifies its enforcement drive, the challenge will be to translate the warnings and monitoring systems into consistent compliance, ensuring that workers are paid on time and that companies operating within the law are not undermined by those that fail to meet the same standards.
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