Guide to the Rights and Obligations of Domestic Workers in Saudi
Welcome to our comprehensive blog guide detailing the rights and responsibilities of domestic workers and employers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Drawing directly from the official guidance provided by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, this article helps both parties clearly understand the nature of the work, wages, and legal conditions. These regulations are designed to support informed consent, protect the rights of both parties, and maintain a balanced working relationship.
Key Terms and Approved Professions
Understanding the specific terminology is the first step toward a transparent working environment.
Domestic Workers: This refers to any natural person—male or female—who performs direct or indirect household work under the supervision of a domestic employer.
Approved Platforms: These are digital electronic platforms, such as Musaned and Ajir, chosen by the Ministry to oversee relevant recruitment operations.
Sending Offices: These are licensed overseas recruitment agencies approved on electronic platforms to supply workers matching the Ministry's specifications.
The Kingdom supports a wide variety of domestic professions beyond basic household help. The official guidance includes:
Domestic worker, private driver, and home guard.
Educator, personal assistant, and home manager.
Home nurse, physical therapy specialist, and home farmer.
Home cook, home coffee maker, and other approved domestic professions.
The professions and nationalities currently available for recruitment should be checked through Musaned, where employers can select from the professions and nationalities available on the platform.
Digital Services for Seamless Recruitment
To modernize the sector, comprehensive digital platforms offer integrated recruitment services.
They facilitate electronic documentation between local recruitment agencies and overseas sending offices.
They allow for seamless electronic contracting between workers and recruitment offices.
They provide digital avenues, such as the "Amicable service," for handling labor disputes electronically.
Employers must use recruitment agencies and human resources companies that are officially licensed and approved by the Ministry.
The Fundamental Rights of Domestic Workers
The Kingdom's regulations strictly protect the well-being and financial security of domestic workers. Workers are entitled to the following rights:
Exemption from paying any recruitment, residency, profession change, service transfer, work permit, or renewal fees, as well as any fines caused by the employer.
Protection from being assigned work other than the work agreed upon in the employment contract, except in cases permitted by the applicable regulations.
Receiving the exact wage stipulated in the employment contract.
Protection from physical or verbal abuse, violence, discrimination, sexual harassment, forced labor, and practices falling within the scope of human trafficking.
One full day of rest per week with full pay, lasting at least 24 consecutive hours, with the weekly rest day determined by agreement in the employment contract.
A minimum of eight hours of continuous daily rest.
Thirty days of leave after completing two years of service when both parties wish to renew the domestic work contract. If the worker does not take this leave, they are entitled to cash compensation for it upon termination of the contractual relationship.
Protection from being placed under probation more than once with the same employer unless both parties agree that the worker will perform duties different from the original role.
A round-trip travel ticket to the worker's home country or place of residence for every two years of service when taking the entitled leave. If the travel is final, the worker is entitled to a one-way return ticket. If the leave is taken within Saudi Arabia, no travel ticket or cash equivalent is due.
A final exit visa upon the expiration of the contract, in accordance with applicable regulations.
An end-of-service benefit calculated as one month's salary for every four consecutive years spent with the employer, based on the worker's last salary.
Up to 30 continuous or intermittent days of sick leave based on a medical report: the first 15 days with full pay and the following 15 days with half pay.
The right to retain their personal documents and belongings. Employers may not retain a domestic worker's passport, identification papers, personal documents, or personal belongings.
HRSD also specifies that a domestic worker may not be employed for more than ten effective working hours in a single day and may not work more than five consecutive hours without a break of at least 30 minutes for rest, worship, or meals.
Obligations of the Domestic Worker
For a fair and balanced household environment, domestic workers must adhere to specific duties:
Perform all agreed-upon work personally and exercise necessary care.
Preserve and protect the employer's property and work tools.
Refrain from any verbal assault or acts of violence.
Protect the privacy of the family and never disclose household secrets.
Do not refuse to work or leave the service without an acceptable, valid excuse.
Do not work for their own personal account.
Do not harm the employer's dignity or interfere in the family's personal affairs.
Respect the Islamic religion, Saudi laws, customs, traditions, and public morals.
Obligations of the Domestic Employer
Employers carry a vital responsibility in maintaining a safe, legal, and respectful workplace. Their obligations include:
Concluding a formal employment contract using mechanisms approved by the Ministry.
Providing all the necessary requirements and tools to perform the work.
Supplying suitable housing and adequate food, or providing the applicable financial alternative.
Allowing the worker to communicate with their family, their country's embassy, human resources companies, and the competent authorities.
Issuing and renewing the worker's residency and paying all related government fees.
Paying the domestic worker their full wage exactly as agreed upon in the contract.
Ensuring the worker enjoys at least eight hours of continuous daily rest.
Providing necessary health care in accordance with Kingdom regulations.
Refraining from any physical or verbal assault or act of violence against the worker.
Refraining from discrimination, sexual harassment, forced labor, or practices falling within the scope of human trafficking.
Not retaining the worker's passport, identification papers, personal documents, or personal belongings.
Not assigning the worker tasks outside the agreed work except as permitted by the regulations, or assigning dangerous work threatening their health, physical safety, or human dignity.
Not allowing the worker to work for their own account or for others in violation of the applicable regulations.
Completing the procedures for shipping the body in the unfortunate event of the worker's death.
Responsibilities of Licensed Recruitment Agencies
Recruitment companies act as the vital bridge between workers and employers and must commit to the following:
Informing the worker accurately about the job nature and wage amount.
Conducting the necessary medical examinations within a maximum of 30 days prior to the worker entering the Kingdom to ensure fitness.
Educating workers on Saudi cultural norms, traditions, public morals, and where to file complaints regarding rights violations.
Receiving, housing, and feeding workers upon arrival until they are handed over to the employer, and providing suitable housing and food in specified situations such as absence or refusal to work for the employer.
Treating workers well and protecting them from violence.
Never collecting recruitment fees directly from the domestic worker in exchange for recruitment.
Creating contracts that accurately reflect the employer's specified terms.
Providing a replacement worker or refunding recruitment costs to the employer in accordance with the recruitment contract. If the recruitment company or office violates the stipulated conditions and specifications, the employer may refuse the worker and return them during the probation period.
Avoiding false or misleading advertisements or promotional phrases that compromise the dignity of workers or conflict with human-rights regulations.
Dispute Resolution and Penalties
If a dispute occurs, either the employer or worker can file a complaint with the Ministry. The Ministry seeks to settle the dispute amicably within five working days from the date the complaint is submitted. If an amicable settlement cannot be reached, the dispute is referred to the competent court.
To enforce these regulations, penalties are in place:
Worker Penalties: Violations can result in a fine of up to SAR 2,000, a ban from working in the Kingdom, or both. Fines may be multiplied according to the number of violations proven against the worker, and the violating worker bears the cost of returning to their home country.
Employer Penalties: Violations can result in a fine of up to SAR 20,000, a ban on recruitment for up to three years, or both. A permanent recruitment ban may also be imposed. The penalty may be doubled in the event of a repeat violation, and fines may be multiplied according to the number of persons affected by the violation.
List of Severe Violations
Working for Personal Account ("Loose Labor"): An expatriate working for their own account faces a SAR 10,000 fine and deportation for the first offense; a SAR 25,000 fine, one month of imprisonment, and deportation for the second offense; and a SAR 50,000 fine, six months of imprisonment, and deportation for the third offense.
Harboring or Illegally Employing: A citizen or resident who transports, employs, shelters, covers up, or assists violators of residency and work regulations faces a SAR 15,000 fine for the first offense; a SAR 30,000 fine and three months of imprisonment for the second offense; and a SAR 100,000 fine and six months of imprisonment for the third offense. Deportation also applies when the violator is an expatriate.
Enabling Workers to Work for Themselves or Others: A citizen or resident who enables their workers to work for their own account or for another person faces a SAR 15,000 fine and a one-year recruitment ban for the first offense; a SAR 30,000 fine, three months of imprisonment, and a two-year recruitment ban for the second offense; and a SAR 100,000 fine, six months of imprisonment, and a five-year recruitment ban for the third offense. Deportation also applies when the violator is an expatriate.
Official sources and links
The following official pages were used to verify this article. Review them for the latest guidance.
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development: https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/en/ministry-platforms
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development: https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/ministry-services/services/816375
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development: https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/en/knowledge-centre/articles/64955
Final Note: These legal provisions are designed to balance the rights and obligations of domestic workers and employers and provide a suitable working environment in accordance with the regulations and applicable agreements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.