Kuwait introduces new allowances and career structure for nursing staff
- Under the new Ministry of Health resolution, Kuwaiti nurses and midwives will receive enhanced financial benefits through a revised allowance structure linked to professional grades, experience and career advancement.
- Monthly allowances start at 1,110 dinars for nurses and midwives at the basic level and increase for higher positions, reaching 1,510 dinars for heads of nursing and midwifery specialists.
- Senior specialists will receive up to 1,430 dinars, senior nurses and midwives 1,170 dinars, and assistant nurses and midwives 1,040 dinars.
Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadhi, has issued Ministerial Resolution No. 206 of 2026, introducing a revised system of allowances, incentives and career grades for nursing staff and midwives, while creating technically graded joint job titles for the midwifery profession.
The decision aims to enhance the attractiveness of the nursing profession, reward experience and qualifications, and strengthen the healthcare workforce by providing improved financial incentives and a clearer career progression structure.
Under the new resolution, Kuwaiti nurses and midwives will receive monthly allowances totaling 1,110 dinars at the basic professional level. The value of allowances increases with promotions, years of experience and advancement to higher professional grades.
The Head of Nursing Specialist and Head of Midwifery Specialist will receive the highest monthly allowances, totaling 1,510 dinars, comprising work nature allowances, job level bonuses, incentive allowances, cost-of-living support, shift allowances, supervision allowances and training incentives.
A Senior Nursing Specialist or Senior Midwifery Specialist will receive monthly allowances totaling 1,430 dinars, while Nursing Specialists and Midwifery Specialists will receive slightly lower packages based on their professional grade.
Senior nurses and senior midwives will receive total monthly allowances of 1,170 dinars, while nurses and midwives at the standard professional level will receive 1,110 dinars.
Assistant nurses and assistant midwives will receive monthly allowances totaling 1,040 dinars, including work nature, job level, incentive, cost-of-living and on-call allowances.
The resolution also sets out revised allowance structures for non-Kuwaiti nursing staff, including heads of nursing departments, specialists, senior nurses, nurses, assistant nurses and their midwifery counterparts.
Although non-Kuwaiti employees will receive lower financial packages than Kuwaiti nationals, they will continue to benefit from work nature allowances, job level bonuses, cost-of-living allowances, shift or on-call allowances, as well as supervision and training benefits where applicable.
The decision further revises allowances for nursing services technicians, introducing separate scales for Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti employees.
Kuwaiti senior nursing services technicians will receive enhanced work nature allowances, incentive bonuses, cost-of-living support and on-call allowances, while nursing services technicians at lower grades will receive corresponding financial benefits.
For non-Kuwaiti nursing services technicians, the revised packages include work nature allowances, job level bonuses, cost-of-living support and on-call allowances according to their professional classification.
A key feature of the resolution is the introduction of a special professional bonus for Kuwaiti university graduates specializing in nursing or midwifery.
Under the scheme, Head Specialists will receive an additional 500 dinars per month, Senior Specialists will receive 400 dinars, Specialists will receive 300 dinars, Senior Nurses and Senior Midwives will receive 200 dinars, while Nurses and Midwives will receive 100 dinars.
The resolution also rewards higher academic qualifications. Kuwaiti nurses holding a doctorate in nursing will receive an additional 150 dinars per month, while those with a master’s degree will receive 75 dinars monthly.
For non-Kuwaiti nursing professionals, doctorate holders will receive an additional 50 dinars, while master’s degree holders will receive 25 dinars per month, provided their qualifications are officially recognized and directly related to the nursing profession.
The Ministry of Health said the revised allowances and career framework are intended to recognize professional expertise, encourage specialization, improve staff retention, and enhance the quality of healthcare services across Kuwait’s medical institutions.
The decision also formally establishes technically graded joint job titles for the midwifery profession, integrating career pathways for nursing and midwifery personnel within the ministry’s human resource framework.
The new remuneration system is expected to provide greater financial stability for nursing professionals while encouraging continuous education, professional development and higher standards of patient care throughout Kuwait’s healthcare sector.
