State workers in Kuwait will get a holiday on December 1 when the country hosts an annual summit of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Kuwait’s Civil Service Commission issued a circular whereby all ministries, government agencies, and public institutions will close on December 1, and the day will be considered off for their workers on the occasion of convening the 45th GCC summit, local media reported.
The commission has given other agencies that provide essential services the right to set their holiday in a way that heeds the public interest. Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anba reported, citing unspecified sources, that the commission is expected to propose a four-day holiday marking the New Year1. The proposal entails halting work at all ministries, government bodies, and public institutions on Wednesday, corresponding to January 1 being an official holiday for the New Year. The proposal also considers Thursday, January 2, a day off as it falls between two official holidays1. Friday and Saturday are usually the weekend in Kuwait.
The sources said in case the commission’s proposal is approved, the total holiday of the New Year will be four consecutive days, i.e., Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and work will resume on Sunday, January 5. The overall number of government employees in Kuwait, a country of 4.9 million people, reached about 474,000 last June, with Kuwaitis making up 79.6% of them, according to recent statistics1.
The GCC summit is a significant event for the region, bringing together leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar to discuss economic, political, and social issues. The decision to grant state workers a day off on December 1 reflects the importance of the summit and the need to ensure that government employees can participate in or support the event.
