Kuwait and Egypt are in discussion to form a joint technical committee to coordinate the recruitment of Egyptian skilled labor, in a step aimed at addressing labor market needs while upholding regulatory standards, Egypt’s State Information Service said on Monday.

The announcement follows a meeting between Egypt’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Osama Shaltout, and Acting Director General of Kuwait’s Public Authority of Manpower (PAM), Marzouq Dhaifallah Al-Otaibi, at PAM headquarters in Kuwait City.

According to Egypt’s State Information Service, the committee is expected to include representatives from Egypt’s Ministry of Labor and will align labor supply with sector-specific demands in the local economy, the statement added.

The move comes nearly 14 months after Kuwait suspended the issuance of new work visas for Egyptian nationals in April 2024.

The suspension aimed to impose stricter controls on recruitment and prioritize applicants with higher education credentials and skills relevant to the Kuwaiti labor market.

While the visa suspension remains in place for now, the new coordination mechanism signals a potential step toward resuming regulated labor flows - albeit under stricter qualifications and oversight.