Kuwait Cityruns on a handful of strong industries. If you’re job-hunting or weighing a move, here’s where the opportunities (and the big-name employers) are.
Top industries & employers
Oil & gas
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, KOC, KNPC, KIPIC, Equate
KPC and its subsidiaries dominate the economy to a degree unusual even in the Gulf, and Al-Zour is one of the largest refineries built anywhere this century. Most senior technical hiring in Kuwait ultimately traces back to this group.
Sovereign wealth & finance
Kuwait Investment Authority, NBK, Kuwait Finance House, Gulf Bank, Boubyan
The Kuwait Investment Authority, founded in 1953, is the world's oldest sovereign wealth fund. NBK and KFH are among the largest banks in the region, and KFH is a global Islamic banking institution.
Construction & infrastructure
Kuwait Municipality projects, Alghanim, Kharafi National, Combined Group
Kuwait's infrastructure programme runs at a scale disproportionate to its size, from the Sheikh Jaber Causeway to the Al-Zour complex, and contracting groups here are among the region's oldest family businesses.
Retail & consumer
Alshaya Group, The Avenues, Alghanim Industries, Americana
Alshaya operates thousands of franchise stores across the region from Kuwait, which makes this small country a genuine regional headquarters for Middle Eastern retail and a large employer of expatriate professionals.
Healthcare & pharmaceuticals
Ministry of Health hospitals, Dar Al Shifa, Royale Hayat, Taiba, Al Salam International
Kuwait recruits heavily internationally for its public health system, and the private hospital sector in Salmiya and Hawally is substantial and well paid.
Telecoms & technology
Zain, Ooredoo Kuwait, stc Kuwait, CITRA
Zain grew out of Kuwait into a multi-country operator across the Middle East and Africa — one of the few Kuwaiti companies to have built a genuine regional platform outside energy.
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