InterNations' Expat Insider report 2019 just ranked Kuwait as the worst country for expats for the second time in a row. The study - which covers 64 countries - revealed that the Gulf nation is the "country expats would recommend the least."
This is the fifth time the state features on InterNations' list. Kuwait was among the least favored countries from 2014 to 2016, the second-worst destination for expatriates in 2017, and the top worst in 2018. Though the nation's personal finance ranking improved (from 50th to 38th in 2019), it still placed last and second to last for the ease of settling in and quality of life, respectively.
While expats in Kuwait are largely satisfied with the country's economic state - with 63 percent positive ratings vs. 63 percent globally - 36 percent of them are unhappy with their work-life balance.
The report's findings placed Kuwait as the worst for expats in several categories including "sense of alienation and making friends."
All in all, the country came last at number 64 and was preceded by countries like Italy (63), Brazil (61), and the United Kingdom (58).
Other Gulf countries showed better performances when compared to Kuwait, where only 35 percent of expats expressed satisfaction with living conditions.
In Bahrain, the same percentage came in at 81, while in Oman 84 percent of expats said they were happy with life conditions. Bahrain didn't just top the list among Gulf and Arab countries, but on the global scale as well, ranking seventh in the world. It was followed by "Qatar, which came in second place in the Gulf, 18th in the world; Oman in the 32nd place in the world, and the UAE in the 40th place in the world."
The report did not include Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain is the only Arab country in the top 10
The only Arab country to get a spot among the top 10 nations for expats is Bahrain. Other regional countries that featured on the global list include Qatar (18), Morocco (26), Oman (32), UAE (40), and Egypt (49).
The top 10 list included the nations listed below:
- Taiwan
- Vietnam
- Portugal
- Mexico
- Spain
- Singapore
- Bahrain
- Ecuador
- Malaysia
- Czech Republic
