Some Saudi women are breaking the law by employing their domestic workers in their small businesses, especially cooking, sales and other jobs that require long working hours, Arab News has discovered.

However, these businesspeople and some experts believe women are forced into this position because of the increasing difficulty to get visas for expatriate workers in certain professions, especially with Saudis refusing to do this type of work.

Umm Ali, a businesswoman who owns a shop at the Tuesday market, said that she uses her domestic worker to make desserts and popular Saudi meals that she sells to restaurants, food stands and kiosks.

Fawz Al-Farj, the owner of a sweets and cupcakes business, said that she has benefited from housewives who make desserts, which has helped to expand her business. “Some of them can make unique desserts, particularly Western desserts and pastries.”

Al-Faraj received financing from an investment fund and was able to open a shop. “I had to raise my worker’s salary because I’m now an investor and we make large amounts.” She finds nothing wrong in using her domestic worker in this manner. “After all, she is a domestic worker and has been trained to cook and bake. She has mastered it. I don’t see why I can’t use her experience for my business,” Al-Faraj said.

A businesswoman in the chocolate industry has taught her two Filipino workers to make special products and traditional Saudi food. “They are doing a good job so I give them extra money,” she said.

Most Saudi businesswomen prefer to hire Indonesian workers because they are apparently more skilled in the food industry, but it is more expensive to recruit them. Saudis want to pay SR800 to SR900 a month, but these workers want between SR1,400 and SR1,500.

Economist Fadl Al-Buainain said that recruiting skilled workers is one of the biggest problems facing Saudi businesswomen because of new labor regulations.

“Many business projects have closed down because of the changing conditions and rules on hiring. This paralyzes projects and results in women opening up their businesses in their homes using their domestic workers ...”

Al-Buainain said that businesswomen want the Labor Ministry to ensure they can hire expatriate workers, especially when it comes to jobs that Saudi women do not like, such as cooking, marketing and other work that require training and long working hours.