According to domestic labor specialist Bassam Al-Shammari, a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousuf Al-Sabah and Philippine Congressman Ron P. Salo helped resolve part of the Kuwait-Philippines domestic labor dispute. An official Philippine delegation will visit Kuwait soon to discuss lifting the ban and resuming the export of domestic workers from the Philippines. If the ban is lifted, domestic labor offices are ready to go to Manila to finalize job orders.

Kuwait’s labor market is short of Filipino domestic workers, who are highly preferred for their skills and familiarity with Kuwaiti customs. Currently, 200,000 Filipino domestic workers make up 50% of the total domestic labor force. Al-Shammari expects the upcoming meetings to address issues like managing shelters run by the Philippine Embassy, resolving labor disputes quickly, ensuring workers receive their entitlements, protecting their documents, and improving shelters managed by the Public Authority of Manpower (PAM). He noted that the recent Philippine delegation also inspected the PAM shelter, confirming that residents are well cared for.