KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior (MOI) has cautioned property owners against employing security guards, commonly known as Haris, without valid residency permits and proper legal sponsorship.
The warning applies to owners of properties under construction, chalets, farms and livestock enclosures (jakhours), stressing the need to comply with the country’s residency and employment regulations.
The ministry urged property owners to verify the legal status of guards before hiring them. Employers must ensure that workers hold valid residency permits and are legally sponsored by the property owner or the relevant company.
Authorities also advised owners to check whether prospective guards have absconding reports, court judgments or other security-related restrictions.
The MOI warned that violations of residency and employment laws could expose property owners to legal accountability.
The ministry’s advisory highlights the importance of ensuring that all security personnel are legally employed and their residency status is in order.
Read more: Kuwait reports 621 fraud and scam cases in third quarter
Separately, the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) in Kuwait flagged thousands of private sector employers for failing to disburse employee wages on time.
According to official figures released by the authority, out of 48,408 registered business files involving establishments with five or more workers, a striking 8,849 employer files have been officially flagged for salary payment violations.
Meanwhile, 39,559 files remain in full compliance with the nation’s rigorous wage-protection regulations, underscoring both persistent compliance challenges and the government’s active monitoring framework.
The latest enforcement data highlights PAM’s comprehensive wage-payment tracking system, which oversees more than 100,000 total employer files across the country, including smaller operations with fewer than five employees.
To ensure absolute transparency and protect workers from unlawful wage withholding, the authority also reiterated the strict legal framework governing payroll adjustments.
Employers are legally permitted to make salary deductions under only 13 explicit, valid circumstances—such as unapproved absenteeism, refusal to work, disciplinary suspensions, and various categories of unpaid or sick leave.
