Kuwaitization 2

I'm now back from Kuwait after spending a fascinating day talking to private sector and public sector folks about the process of Kuwaitization of the private sector. A few main takeways. First, regardless of how little the west may think of Kuwait's parliament, it does make a difference in the way public issues are discussed and how policies are implemented. Sometimes this leads to gridlock, but it also leads to a feeling of democratic debate and freedom of expression. Following up on this, Kuwaitis are downright liberal compared to Qataris. Women and men walking around sleeveless; Qataris would never do this.

Finally, the wage subsidies offered to increase the numbers of Kuwaitis in the private sector has been touted as a success, but there is the impression that many of these are ghost jobs that are padding payrolls and adding to Kuwaitis bank accounts and allowing employers to avoid fines from not having enough Kuwaiti employees.