JEDDAH: The Ministry of Labor and Social Development has reacted to one company’s bid to market housemaids in the local market, saying that such action is in violation of the relevant regulations.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Khalid Aba Al-Khail, said the ministry’s inspectors took action against the recruitment agency in question, adding that the ministry has launched an investigation into the case and will hold the agency accountable for its wrongdoing.

Aba Al-Khail said such behaviors are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

In a related development, Saud Al-Subaie, a Shoura Council member, has put forth a proposal to address flaws in the recruitment process of housemaids.

The proposal suggests revisiting the regulations governing the recruitment agencies’ work and entails opening the Saudi recruitment market to international agencies and not limiting the market to local agencies, arguing that local agencies lack the power to initiate agreements with foreign countries sending housemaids to the Kingdom.

Under the current regulations, representatives from local recruitment agencies are dispatched to destination countries in order to sign housemaid recruitment agreements. However, Al-Subaie’s proposal would open the door in front of foreign recruitment agencies to uphold this task abroad on behalf of the Saudi counterpart and as per the Labor Ministry’s regulations pertinent to the recruitment process.

“Foreign recruitment agencies are well acquainted with their countries’ regulations in terms of sending laborers abroad and can negotiate

better deals for Saudis. This would secure the rights of all parties involved in the recruitment process, the employer, the worker and the agency,” he said.

He stressed that this suggestions, if applied, should address the runaway problem of housemaids and would increase the supply as opposed to the increasing demand on housemaids, in addition to boosting competitiveness among foreign recruitment agencies.