Citizens urged to recruit domestic aid only through registered agents

Khalid Aba Al-Khail

RIYADH: The Ministry of Labor and Social Development urged all citizens to recruit domestic aid, both male and female, through registered agents and warned strict action against unscrupulous agents who supply manpower through illegal means.
Recently, the ministry launched an online portal to help Saudi sponsors recruit domestic workers to avoid exploitation by middlemen.
The portal, www.musaned.gov.sa, which can be accessed on the ministry's website gives a list of agencies that are authorized to process the recruitment of domestic workers into the Kingdom.
The portal lists nationalities and professions available, in addition to the cost and the period for the arrival of recruited laborers, which should be not more than 60 days.
Ministry spokesman Khalid Aba Al-Khail said the Musaned website will also enable the parties involved in the contract to know the mechanism of filing complaints and resolving disputes.
"The website also contains the forms and documents needed for the recruitment of domestic helpers by the concerned parties," he said.
He added that the website informs visitors of the cost of recruiting domestic help, according to professions and nationalities, as well as allocating the location of the provider of this service. He called on citizens to report any differences regarding the costs announced on the website through the formal channels of communication of the ministry.
The spokesman said the site gives all visitors information regarding all requirements after service seeker and provider sign a contract between, including that the period for recruitment should not exceed 60 days from the date of signing of the contract, and also not to pay more than 25 percent of the value of the contract during the signing, with the rest to be paid once the visa is stamped on the worker’s passport.
Failure to supply the manpower during the required time will lead to the cancellation of the contract; the money will be repaid to the clients with the fines.
The spokesman also said the ministry will launch a major crackdown on illicit trading of domestic help on households throughout the Kingdom.
He pointed out that some unscrupulous people are trading in domestic labor through advertisements in various media outlets.
“Such dealings are in violation of the law, since most domestic helpers are runaways from various Saudi homes,” he said, urging citizens not to fall prey to this new racket carried out by some parties.
He also told the public to complain and to report the fraudulent activities of these violators to the concerned authorities.
The official said that serious action will be taken against all those who are involved in publishing such advertisements. Any such violation will be booked and action taken accordingly.