MOHRE Kuwait: What It Actually Means for Your Job

If you're searching for "MOHRE Kuwait," you've probably mixed up two countries. MOHRE — the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation — is the UAE labour regulator. Kuwait doesn't have one. Here's what actually governs your job in Kuwait, and where to file complaints.

Quick answer

There is no "MOHRE Kuwait." MOHRE is the United Arab Emirates labour authority. In Kuwait, the equivalent body is the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) — in Arabic, Al-Hay'a Al-'Aama Lil-Quwa Al-'Amila — which sits under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry framework and reports to a dedicated Minister of State for Economic and Investment Affairs. PAM handles work permits, labour disputes, and inspections for private-sector workers under Law No. 6 of 2010 on Labour in the Private Sector. Public-sector employees fall under the Civil Service Commission instead.

Why people search "MOHRE Kuwait"

Cross-Gulf confusion. It happens constantly. Recruitment agencies, WhatsApp groups, and Google itself blur the two markets because the job search patterns look similar — visa, work permit, end-of-service, gratuity calculator.

But the rules are different. UAE labour law is Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Kuwait runs on Law No. 6 of 2010. Different notice periods, different gratuity formulas, different complaint channels, different timelines. If you Google a UAE answer and apply it to a Kuwait contract, you'll get the calculation wrong. Frankly, most online "Gulf labour" content lumps them together and it shows.

So if your employer is in Kuwait City, Hawalli, Ahmadi, or the Free Zone — you want PAM, not MOHRE. ^[1]

What PAM actually does (the Kuwait MOHRE equivalent)

The Public Authority for Manpower is the real answer to "mohre kuwait" if what you mean is the labour regulator. PAM's core functions:

• Issues and renews work permits (Article 18 residencies tied to private-sector employment).
• Approves employment contracts and file transfers between employers.
• Runs the Ashal platform for online labour transactions.
• Investigates labour complaints — unpaid wages, illegal termination, contract breaches.
• Enforces Kuwaitization quotas in the private sector.
• Inspects worksites for violations of Law 6/2010.

For domestic workers, a separate body exists — the Domestic Labour Department under the Ministry of Interior, governed by Law No. 68 of 2015. Different law, different office, different complaint route. Don't confuse the two. ^[2]

If you're an expat and your employer holds your passport, refuses to pay, or threatens an absconding report, PAM's labour disputes department is where you file first — before you ever see a courtroom.

Filing a labour complaint in Kuwait

You don't need a lawyer to open a file. Here's the actual sequence under Law 6/2010, Articles 96 and 143:

1. File at PAM's Labour Relations Department in the governorate where you work. Bring your civil ID, contract, salary evidence (bank statements, WhatsApp messages), and any termination letter.
2. Mediation phase — PAM summons the employer. This usually resolves within 2 to 6 weeks. Most wage disputes settle here.
3. Referral to Labour Court if mediation fails. PAM issues a referral memo; you then have limited time to file at the Court of First Instance (Labour Circuit).
4. Court fees are waived for the worker in labour cases under Article 144 — this is one of the genuinely worker-friendly features of Kuwaiti law.

Watch out: The statute of limitations for most wage claims is one year from the date the right accrued (Law 6/2010, Art. 87). Miss it and the claim dies. Don't sit on unpaid salary hoping the boss will pay next month.

The catch? Absconding reports (taghayyub) filed by employers can freeze your residency status while your complaint is pending. If you're facing one, address it in parallel — not after.

End-of-service, notice, and gratuity in Kuwait

Because you were probably searching MOHRE-style calculators, here are the actual Kuwait numbers under Law 6/2010:

• Notice period: 3 months for monthly-paid workers (Art. 44), unless the contract specifies longer.
• Indemnity (end-of-service gratuity): 15 days' wages per year for the first 5 years, then 1 month per year thereafter, capped at 1.5 years' total wages (Art. 51).
• Annual leave: 30 days after 9 months of service (Art. 70).
• Probation: maximum 100 working days (Art. 32).

These don't match UAE numbers. Don't cross-reference.

When to escalate beyond PAM

PAM handles the administrative side. But some issues need parallel tracks:

• Criminal wage theft or trafficking indicators — Public Prosecution.
• Domestic worker disputes — Ministry of Interior's Domestic Labour Department.
• Residency and deportation issues — General Department of Residence Affairs.
• Public-sector employment — Civil Service Commission, not PAM.

For a broader view of your rights as a worker in Kuwait, see our employment law answers. If you're weighing whether to file at all, talk to a lawyer before your one-year window closes.

The short version: forget MOHRE. In Kuwait, it's PAM, Law 6/2010, and a one-year clock.

Need this checked for your situation? Talk to a lawyer licensed in Kuwait →

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