KUWAIT: Kuwait’s extensive investment in its people reflects “one of the most generous social systems in the world,” according to Attiya Waris, the United Nations Independent Expert on foreign debt, other international financial obligations and human rights. Visiting Kuwait from October 1-8, 2025 at the invitation of the State authorities, she praised the country’s achievements in social welfare while encouraging careful fiscal reform and a stronger connection between citizens and the economy they benefit from.

At a press conference on Wednesday at the UN House, Waris presented her preliminary findings following her official mission, which examined how Kuwait’s distinctive rentier political economy influences both domestic human-rights realization and the country’s international cooperation obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Waris commended Kuwait’s commitment to social protection, saying, “I think that Kuwaiti nationals may be some of the best looked-after citizens in the world right now. The support that they get is incredible from the state. And I do hope that Kuwaiti citizens appreciate all that their government has provided.”

She described Kuwait’s public-sector-driven welfare system as both a strength and a vulnerability. More than 85 percent of citizens work in the public sector, receiving “extremely generous salaries and benefits” and enjoying relatively short working hours, a combination that guarantees social stability but limits productivity and private-sector development. Deficit projections illustrate the strain: Kuwait’s deficit is expected to average 8.9 percent of GDP during 2025-2028, potentially surging to nearly 14 percent in 2025–2026.

Waris observed that, “All of this money that the government has been spending, all of the subsistence, it’s wonderful. It has built up people to a very high extent. So now, time to let them fly.” She added that the next step is to “retool the system” so that “society acknowledges and gives back” to the State that has long supported it.

Attiya Waris speaking to the press on the sidelines of the event.

Expats contributions

Waris emphasized that Kuwait’s prosperity also depends on how it integrates its large expatriate community, who comprise more than 60 percent of the population. She told Kuwait Times, “You have a migrant population that comes and works. And then what does it do? You have a good economy for the wealthy… But for people who don’t have as much money, I find that there isn’t enough activity.”

Highlighting the need to keep income circulating within Kuwait, she said, “For money to be useful in an economy, you need it to circulate. You don’t need as an economy for the salary to go straight out to another country. That is remittance. You need the money to be used here.” Waris suggested that broadening access to affordable services and entertainment for lower-income workers could strengthen social cohesion and economic resilience: “If you can get multiple use points out of the money before it gets sent out, then that’s you building your economy.

Building beyond oil

Acknowledging Kuwait’s National Development Plan and its alignment with the UN 2030 Agenda, Waris recognized efforts to expand non-oil sectors and improve living standards. She called for intensified investment in skills, entrepreneurship, and opportunities for Kuwait’s “well-educated and well-travelled” youth, asking, “How do we now build Kuwait? How do we make Kuwait a vibrant economy and at least find that manufacturing-based budget that we need?” She further advised taking gradual, structured steps toward establishing a fair taxation system that fosters public understanding and trust, ensuring citizens see the tangible benefits of contributing to national revenues.

Debt and transparency

Kuwait remains one of the least indebted Arab nations, recording public debt of 3 percent of GDP in 2024, projected to reach 7.3 percent in 2025. Waris noted the introduction of Decree Law No. 60 of 2025 on the debt ceiling and stressed that any borrowing must be accompanied by fiscal responsibility and transparency safeguards to protect living standards and human wellbeing.

Sustaining a balanced future

In her recommendations, Waris urged the government to enhance fiscal transparency, pursue realistic economic diversification, and gradually develop a taxation framework aligned with human-rights obligations. She also praised Kuwait’s Zakat and development funds, describing them as key instruments for social cohesion and international solidarity.