KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Ministry of Social Affairs announced Thursday that it will open online applications for supervisory positions in cooperative societies starting July 27, as part of the country’s broader Kuwaitization strategy aimed at placing more citizens in leadership roles across key sectors. The move comes nearly a year after the ministry temporarily suspended earlier initiatives to Kuwaitize the sector.
For the first time, candidates will be required to take an electronic exam on September 9, organized in cooperation with the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), according to the ministry’s Acting Undersecretary Dr Khaled Al-Ajmi. “In a first since appointments in co-ops began, the ministry will require applicants to take an electronic test,” Al-Ajmi told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), adding that passing with a score above 80 percent is mandatory to qualify for the in-person interview stage. The exam will count for more than 80 percent of the final evaluation, while the interview will account for 15 percent.
The decision is part of a wider national effort to prioritize citizens for employment and address what officials have described as the country’s “demographic imbalance.” In 2023, the ministry launched its first round of Kuwaitization efforts in co-ops, posting supervisory jobs in five co-ops — Nuzha, Qortuba, Faiha, Jabriya, and Qadisiya — for positions such as directors, deputy directors, and department heads. A special committee was assigned to oversee the process. However, sources noted that turnout was lower than expected, citing job security concerns.
Since then, the ministry has been working to expand the scope of the Kuwaitization initiative. In July 2024, it introduced a new vision that included general roles such as legal accountants, procurement clerks, and store managers. In January 2025, Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of State for Family and Childhood Affairs Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah announced the formation of a new committee tasked with overcoming obstacles in hiring Kuwaitis.
Al-Ajmi emphasized that the new electronic test is intended to ensure fairness and transparency in the hiring process. “The goal is to enhance transparency, equal opportunity, and job justice in selecting candidates,” he said, noting that a free, optional training course will be made available for applicants to prepare.
Salaries for the available supervisory positions range from KD 1,000 to KD 2,000 depending on the role and its responsibilities, Al-Ajmi added. Assistant Director-General of the Public Authority of Manpower Musaed Al-Mutairi confirmed that the authority has activated a digital system to register and advertise vacancies submitted by co-ops. The job opportunities will be published through the “Fakhrona” platform dedicated to hiring Kuwaiti nationals. Applications can be submitted via the authority’s online portal or through the Sahel app, Al-Mutairi told KUNA. He added that cooperative societies are a promising space for young Kuwaitis to gain leadership experience, thanks to their community-focused and administratively flexible nature. — Agencies
