RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia is looking to strengthen its presence in Kuwait’s labor market, with officials highlighting both opportunities and challenges in securing jobs for Indonesian migrant workers.

Deputy Minister of Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection (P2MI) Christina Aryani met with Indonesian Ambassador to Kuwait Lena Maryana in Jakarta on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, to discuss strategies for expanding placements and ensuring stronger worker protections.

Christina received updates on the current conditions of Indonesian workers in Kuwait, who are employed across key sectors such as hospitality, oil and gas, manufacturing, healthcare, and spa therapy. The talks also addressed new job orders and legal frameworks for placement.

“Kuwait offers significant opportunities for Indonesian migrant workers, particularly in professional and service sectors. This is a market we must continue to map and optimize,” Christina said in her statement, as quoted by Antara.

As of January 2026, there were 6,088 Indonesians living in Kuwait, including migrant workers and their families. Christina emphasized that P2MI Ministry is committed to strengthening protection from start to finish, ensuring workers have access to social security through BPJS Ketenagakerjaan and health insurance in their destination countries.

“We stress the importance of social security for Indonesian migrant workers, including in Kuwait, so they have adequate health and employment protection while working abroad,” she added.

The meeting also explored potential government-to-government and public-private partnerships to facilitate worker placement. Christina encouraged opening opportunities for medium-skilled workers in industries supporting Kuwait’s oil and gas sector, which remains the backbone of the country’s economy.

Ambassador Lena Maryana highlighted the growing competition in Kuwait’s labor market. She noted that while Indonesian workers previously had strong prospects in airport security, many of those positions are now filled by African workers due to lower costs and faster recruitment processes.

“Indonesian workers still enjoy a positive reputation in Kuwait for being friendly, dedicated, and low-conflict. However, Indonesia must improve its readiness to avoid losing momentum in Kuwait and the wider Middle East labor market,” Ambassador Lena concluded.

The discussions underscored the need for Indonesia to balance opportunity with preparedness -- ensuring its workers remain competitive while maintaining the country’s reputation for reliability and professionalism in the global labor market. ***