The shock has come as a result of the problem in the recruitment of maids in Jakarta and Manila, according to Al-Riyadh daily. A number of investors in the labor supply business have put the blame on unlicensed agents who are taking advantage of the current situation and increasing their fees. Their aim is to earn as much as possible from Saudi families which are in desperate need of housemaids before the month of Ramadan, say experts in the industry.

This has come at a time when Saudis are waiting for the unified list of recruitment companies — a move that was announced by the Ministry of Labor. The list will unify the charges and put an end to the suffering of citizens in addition to bringing all the offices under one umbrella.

Authorities have urged citizens not to submit visa applications for maids from Indonesia until all arrangements are finalized.

Eid Al-Saad, an investor in the recruitment business, said one of the main problems facing the offices in Indonesia was that an application for a maid is not processed until $500 is paid. This has given middlemen an excuse to increase their commission from $200 to $1,500.

He said the current situation was not encouraging the recruitment of maids from Indonesia, which is continually insisting the minimum salary for a maid should be SR800 a month, while maids in Gulf countries are paid an average of SR700. Al-Saad warned people against fake advertisements that claim to provide maids immediately. He said that it sometimes takes more than six months to bring a maid.

Yahya Maqboul, head of the Recruitment Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the problem with bringing Indonesian maids would continue until after Ramadan.