Saudi Arabia: 126 offices ordered to stop recruitment from eight countries

Ministry returned SR1.7 million to Saudis from various regions, who were not provided with the services promised by the recruitment offices

Riyadh: 126 recruitment offices have been ordered by the Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Development, to stop recruiting domestic workers from the eight approved countries.

The statement comes after the eight countries were found violating the rules and regulations of the recruitment activities.

“We follow individuals and offices that operate illegally in recruiting domestic workers in Saudi Arabia,” Khalid Aba Al-Khail, the spokesman of the ministry

Currently Saudis may recruit domestic workers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Niger.

The cost of the domestic helps from these countries range from SR8,000 to SR22,000. The employer may request having a maid, nanny, nurse, driver or worker.

The violating individuals or offices might have to terminate their businesses and may also be made to pay fines of SR10,000.

The ministry called on the public to deal only with certified offices, which are on Musaned online portal.

Making the rules more severe, ministry did not renew the licenses to six offices. Moreover it canceled the license for seven other offices.

Lately the ministry had acted on some 7,000 complaints against the recruitment offices. These complaints range from the manipulating of the prices and not sticking to the agreed time to provide services to their clients.

In the same context the ministry returned SR1.7 million to Saudis from various regions, who were not provided with the services promised by the recruitment offices.

According to Musaned system of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, the domestic workers have the right to get nine hours of rest a day and also have weekend based on the agreement with the sponsor. The system also obliges the sponsor to provide health care for the domestic workers.

Regarding the rights of workers, the ministry stated:

>Worker has the right for a paid sick leave for no more than 30 days a year.

>The domestic worker has also the right for one-month vacation after staying for two years with his sponsor.

>The domestic worker has the right to get a bonus if he/she stays with the employer for four continuous years.

Regarding the sponsor, the ministry said that the recruiter has right to have a trial period that does not exceed 90 days in which he can check the effectiveness of the domestic worker and his/her behavior.

Three copies of contract must be made. One should stay the recruitment office, one with the employer and a third with the domestic worker.