Expat teachers face exit as Kuwait pushes for Kuwaitization
In a parallel development, the Ministry of Education is preparing to terminate the contracts of 60 expatriate employees—55 teachers and five administrators, who have reached the legal limit of public service. According to informed sources, the ministry's administrative sector has completed an inventory of non-Kuwaiti staff who have served more than 34 years across various educational levels and districts, as well as the ministry's central office.
The termination of expatriate teaching staff will take effect at the end of the 2024–2025 academic year, while the dismissal of administrative employees is scheduled for the end of the calendar year in December 2025.
These measures are part of Kuwait's long-standing policy to replace expatriate workers with national citizens in government roles, particularly in sectors where local talent is now sufficient, such as education. The initiative is aimed at strengthening workforce nationalization and creating more employment opportunities for Kuwaitis.
Arab Times | © Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
20 minutes ago
- The National
Dubai heritage mosques to be preserved under new deal
Religious infrastructure will be upgraded in Dubai as part of a new strategy announced on Wednesday. An agreement was signed between Dubai Municipality and the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai, under which heritage mosques were being preserved, and management of funeral and cemetery services will be improved. The agreement seeks to create a unified vision for the design and construction of mosques, while safeguarding cultural, religious and architectural heritage, Dubai Government Media Office said. "It strengthens our joint efforts to provide high-quality services that benefit the entire community while preserving the authentic character of historic mosques and prayer sites," said Ahmad Bin Ghalita, director general of Dubai Municipality. "The partnership also reflects our commitment to enhancing quality of life by developing public facilities that embody Dubai's cultural and religious identity, blending urban progress with heritage conservation.' Dubai Municipality will restore and maintain heritage mosques, ensuring the preservation of their traditional character and authentic architectural features. Eid prayer grounds will be enhanced "to meet the emirate's urban and demographic growth", said the media office.
Khaleej Times
20 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Students receive A-level results; schools see record improvements
Schools in the UAE began receiving A-level results on Wednesday evening, with students set to access their results tomorrow. This year, 1,999 students sat 5,379 A-level exams across 22 GEMS schools in the UAE and Qatar. The results show sustained strong performance, with 32 per cent of grades at A*-A and 58 per cent at A*-B. The GEMS-wide results also reflect significant year-on-year grade improvements, with the number of A* grades awarded rising by two percentage points to 11 per cent, A*-A performance improving from 26 per cent in 2024 to 32% this year, as well as A*-B performance rising six percentage points to 58 per cent. Lisa Crausby OBE, Group Chief Education Officer at GEMS Education, said, 'Our students' A-level success is in many ways just the beginning — what truly excites us is where they'll go next. Whether they pursue further academic study in top universities across the globe, technical and vocational pathways, or alternative routes to success, they do so equipped not only with excellent results but also with the values, resilience, and ambition that truly distinguish GEMS learners. 'As we have throughout our history, we prepare students not just for exams, but for life — and the outcomes we celebrate today are proof of what's possible when purpose and passion align, fully supported by our passionate educators in school and our students' dedicated parents and families at home.' Notable achievements across the GEMS network include GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis, which saw a 15 percentage point year-on-year growth in students achieving an A*. The school also saw the number of students achieving an A*-A rise by 18 percentage points compared to last year, as well as the number of A*-B grades increase by 15 percentage points year on year. Sarah O'Regan, Principal/CEO, GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis, said, 'We are incredibly proud of our results this year. The dedication and effort shown by the largest A-level cohort in our history – and by their teachers – has led to a set of achievements that deserves real celebration. Alongside our equally impressive BTEC outcomes, the Class of 2025 has truly set a new benchmark.' Meanwhile at GEMS Founders School – Al Mizhar, the number of students achieving an A* rose by 10 percentage points over 2024 results, while A*-A grades rose by 20 percentage points and A*-B grades by a remarkable 27 percentage points. Akram Tarik, Principal, GEMS Founders School – Al Mizhar, said, 'This year's A-level and BTEC results are the highest in our school's history, and I could not be prouder of our students and staff. Such exceptional achievements are never the result of chance; they reflect hundreds of hours of dedication, meticulous preparation, and the unwavering support of our families, staff, and, most importantly, our students.' Additional highlights include GEMS Cambridge International Private School – Sharjah, whose A-level students achieved a nine percentage point growth in A* grades awarded, as well as GEMS Wesgreen International School – Sharjah, where the number of students achieving an A*-A grade rose by 16 percentage points year-on-year. Across the GEMS network a total of 412 students took BTEC Level 3s — double the cohort of last year, demonstrating the increasing popularity of this vocational pathway. Nearly a third (32 per cent) of entries achieved the highest possible grade of Distinction Star, while nearly two thirds (62 per cent) of entries were awarded a Distinction Star or Distinction.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Saudi wealth fund PIF's assets under management up 19% in 2024 to $913bn
Assets of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund climbed to $913 billion in 2024, marking a 19 per cent annual rise for the sovereign wealth fund that is key to the kingdom's economic transformation agenda. The fund's annual returns since 2017, however, have fallen to 7.2 per cent, down from 8.7 per cent in 2023, the PIF said in its annual report published on Wednesday. Capital deployment across its priority sectors reached $56.8 billion last year, bringing cumulative investment since the beginning of 2021 to more than $171 billion, the fund said. Total revenue increased by 25 per cent and its cash balance "remains strong and broadly unchanged year on year as PIF maintains its robust liquidity", the report said. The PIF now represents 10 per cent of the nation's non-oil economy, with its cumulative real non-oil GDP contribution between 2021 and 2024 growing to $243 billion. The total number of its portfolio companies at the end of last year had reached 225, of which the PIF created and established 103. 'PIF further established its position as one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds," said Yasir A AlSalman, the PIF's chief financial officer. "PIF continues to innovate to deliver on its mandate and drive economic transformation.' The PIF is leading Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to diversify the kingdom's economy from oil. The PIF, along with related organisations, is driving investment into areas including finance, health care, sport, renewables, technology, the automotive industry, property, aerospace, defence, entertainment, leisure, retail and mining. The fund's domestic holdings include Saudi mining and mineral giant Maaden, petrochemicals major Sabic and the kingdom's biggest lender, Saudi National Bank. It has also launched Riyadh Air – Saudi Arabia's new national carrier – which is set to begin flying this year, the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Company and Lifera, a pharmaceutical investment company. The fund also continues to make key international investments. In December, the PIF and Ardian completed a €4 billion ($4.2 billion) deal to buy a combined 37.62 per cent stake in London's Heathrow Airport from Spanish construction firm Ferrovial and other shareholders of FGP Topco, the parent company of Heathrow Airport Holdings. It has four main sources of funding: capital injections from the government, government asset transfers, retained earnings from investments, and loans and debt instruments. The fund, which received 8 per cent more of Aramco shares from the government last year, has also continued to diversify its funding sources, raising $9.83 billion in public debt and an additional $7 billion in private debt, it said in the report. 'The 2024 results highlight PIF's transition from digital transformation to digital leadership, with artificial intelligence and automation together becoming a vital part of operations," said Maram Al Johani, PIF's acting chief of staff and secretary general to the board. "In 2024, PIF completed 58 digital projects, launched 15 new applications and automated more than 477 processes, enabling insights, strategy and the creation of economic value.' The PIF also raised its target for assets under management by 2030 to $2.67 trillion, up nearly 43 per cent from its original target of $1.87 trillion, the annual report released by the Saudi government's Vision 2030 in April said. The fund has helped create 1.1 million jobs in the kingdom as of 2024, up from 77,700 in 2021, the report found.
