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Kuwait’s Minister of Justice Counselor Nasser Al-Sumait announced on September 13, 2026, that the current Kuwaitization rate within the judiciary stands at 87 percent and is scheduled to rise to 92 percent by September 30, 2027, before reaching 100 percent by September 30, 2030. Al-Sumait described the full Kuwaitization goal as both a sovereign right and a key national objective while stressing that the judicial authority possesses the full capability to manage its work efficiently and competently. The minister delivered the update during a press briefing that followed his inspection of electronic written examinations at Kuwait University for graduates of the 2024-2025 academic year who are applying for the post of junior legal researcher, a position that qualifies successful candidates to become public prosecutors at Grade C.
Al-Sumait’s remarks align with earlier statements the minister made in July 2026, when he declared the completion of the second phase of the replacement plan through ministerial decisions that ended the secondment of 82 members of the judiciary. That step lifted the proportion of Kuwaiti judges and judicial staff to 87 percent of the total judicial authority by September 30, 2026, according to the approved implementation schedule that the minister outlined at the time. Two additional phases remain before the programme concludes, with the judiciary expected to achieve complete Kuwaitization by October 1, 2030.
The phased Kuwaitization initiative in the judiciary follows directives from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to strengthen reliance on national competencies across state institutions. Al-Sumait expressed appreciation in July for the contributions of Egyptian judicial members who had served in Kuwait over the years, highlighting their role in upholding justice while the country transitions to a fully national workforce. The strategy seeks to empower Kuwaiti professionals without disrupting the efficient operation of the courts.
Kuwait Times reported that the judiciary will be 100 percent Kuwaiti by September 30, 2030, with the current rate at 87 percent and an interim target of 92 percent by 2027, figures that match the timetable Al-Sumait presented. The minister’s latest briefing underscores ongoing recruitment efforts through competitive examinations designed to bring qualified Kuwaiti graduates into the system as junior legal researchers and future prosecutors. These examinations form part of a structured pipeline that supports the localisation targets while maintaining high professional standards.
According to data released by the Labor Market Information System, the number of Kuwaiti employees stood at 441,200 by the end of 2025, with more than three-quarters of citizens around 76 percent concentrated in the government sector. A subsequent Kuwait Times assessment placed the share of Kuwaitis in the overall public sector workforce at roughly 80 percent as of June 30, 2026, illustrating the advanced stage of nationalisation across government institutions. The judiciary’s 87 percent rate therefore exceeds the public sector average, reflecting accelerated progress within the justice system.
Al-Sumait’s updates indicate that the judicial authority is progressing on schedule, with each phase building on the last to replace seconded foreign staff through domestic hiring and training. Officials continue to monitor the implementation to ensure that court operations remain uninterrupted during the final stages of the transition. The initiative forms one element of national efforts to prioritise Kuwaiti employment in critical public sectors, where similar replacement programmes have unfolded over multiple years.
