, Feb. 23 -- Kuwait is preparing to roll out a regulated freelance visa as part of broader efforts to restructure its labour market and end the long-running trade in residency permits.

The plan, unveiled by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahd Al Yousef during a meeting with private sector stakeholders, would allow expatriates to work independently without a conventional sponsor, within a legally monitored framework.

Officials say the proposed system aims to tackle problems stemming from unregulated employment, residency brokerage and unusually high daily wages in some low-skilled jobs, where workers can earn more than KD25 a day for basic services, report Gulf News.

Observers of the existing system have blamed...