The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an ancient civilized country, known for its generosity, hospitality, and respect for human values.
Therefore, the Kingdom has paid great attention to human rights, including the rights of domestic workers, who constitute an important part of Saudi society and provide essential services to families.
In this article, we will highlight the efforts made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to enhance the protection and support of domestic workers, and discuss the systems and regulations governing their work, the entities responsible for their protection, the initiatives launched to improve their living conditions, and the challenges facing these efforts.
Laws and regulations governing the work of domestic workers
The laws and regulations regulating the work of domestic workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are an important step towards guaranteeing the rights of this category.
These regulations include the Labor Law, the Domestic Workers Regulations, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law.
Work system:
The Labor Law is the primary reference for regulating the work of domestic workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This system includes many provisions that guarantee the rights of domestic workers, including:
working hours:The labor system sets working hours for domestic workers at a maximum of 10 hours per day and 60 hours per week.
Workers must receive at least 24 hours of weekly rest.
Reward:The Labor Law sets the minimum wage for domestic workers, and this minimum varies according to the type of profession and experience.
Workers must be paid monthly and in full.
Vacations: Domestic workers are entitled to 30 days of annual paid leave and 15 days of sick leave per year.
Weekly rest and official holidays:Domestic workers are entitled to at least 24 hours of weekly rest, and must be allowed to celebrate official holidays in Saudi Arabia.
Workers duties:The work system specifies the duties of domestic workers, which include performing the household chores assigned to them accurately and efficiently, adhering to the rules of the home’s internal system, and respecting the privacy of family members.
List of domestic workers:
The Domestic Workers Regulations complete the labor system, and explain the procedures for recruiting domestic workers and how to transfer them to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The regulations also include the conditions and duties of employers, including:
Conditions for recruiting domestic workers: The regulations set the conditions for recruiting domestic workers, which include the employer obtaining a license from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and submitting some documents, such as the worker’s passport and employment contract.
Duties of employers:The regulation specifies the duties of employers towards domestic workers, which include providing suitable housing, healthy food, and medical treatment in the event of illness, and not forcing them to work overtime or in harsh conditions.
Anti-trafficking in persons law:
The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law criminalizes human trafficking, punishes perpetrators, and provides support to victims. This law includes trafficking in domestic workers, and protecting this category from trafficking is one of its main goals.
Importance of rules and regulations:
The laws and regulations governing the work of domestic workers play an important role in:
-Guaranteeing the rights of domestic workers.
-Protecting workers from exploitation.
-Enhancing cooperation between employers and workers.
-Improving workers’ living conditions.
Entities responsible for protecting and supporting domestic workers
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to protecting and supporting the rights of domestic workers, and therefore it has established many bodies responsible for this.
Main responsible parties:
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development: is the ministry primarily responsible for protecting and supporting the rights of domestic workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its tasks include:
Implementing the labor system and regulations governing the work of domestic workers.
Supervising the process of recruiting domestic workers and ensuring their compliance with the rules and regulations.
Providing support and advice to domestic workers through the “Together Monitoring” Centre.
Cooperate with the relevant authorities to ensure that workers obtain their rights.
Migrant Workers Protection and Support Center: This center provides multiple services to expatriate workers, including domestic workers. These services include:
Receiving complaints and reports from workers.
Providing legal support to workers.
Communicate with the responsible authorities to solve workers’ problems.
Spreading awareness about workers’ rights and duties.
Embassies and Consulates: The embassies and consulates of the countries to which domestic workers belong provide them with support and advice, and also help them solve problems they may face.
Supporting parties:
Police: The police help protect domestic workers from any dangers or attacks, and also investigate complaints and reports submitted by them.
Charities:Some charities provide support services to domestic workers, such as financial and in-kind assistance, providing psychological support, and organizing awareness and education programs.
Media: The media plays an important role in educating society about the rights of domestic workers, and spreading a culture of respect for this group.
Initiatives to enhance the protection and support of domestic workers
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched many initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of this group and ensuring that they obtain their full rights, such as:
Together Monitoring Initiative:
The “Together to Monitor” initiative is a crucial step in enabling foreign workers in general to report any abuses or violations of their rights.
This initiative opens a safe platform for them to express their suffering, and facilitates the process of receiving complaints electronically through the application affiliated with this initiative, investigating them, and taking the necessary measures to punish violators.
Wage Protection Program:
The Wage Protection Program is a pioneering initiative aimed at ensuring that domestic workers receive their full and fair wages on time.
This program comes as a proactive step to enhance workers’ dignity and rights, and provide them with a safe and stable work environment.
Awareness campaigns:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia realizes that spreading awareness among workers and employers about the rights and duties of employers and domestic workers is the cornerstone of building sound and respectful relationships between these groups.
The ministries and concerned authorities organize intensive awareness campaigns, aiming to correct misconceptions about the rights of this group, and to promote a culture of respect for domestic workers.
Bilateral Agreements:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia concludes bilateral agreements with countries exporting domestic workers. These agreements represent a legal framework for regulating the labor recruitment process, ensuring that all parties adhere to the terms and controls of recruitment, and protecting workers’ rights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Through these initiatives, the Kingdom seeks to create a safe and stable work environment for domestic workers, enhance cooperation between employers and workers, and build a just society in which human dignity is respected.
Challenges facing protection and support for domestic workers
Despite the efforts made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to enhance the protection and support of domestic workers, there are some challenges facing these efforts, which hinder this group from obtaining their full rights.
Main Challenges:
Some domestic workers do not know their rights and duties:
Some domestic workers face difficulty in knowing their rights and duties, because they are not informed of the work system and regulations governing their work.
The importance of addressing challenges:
Addressing the challenges facing the protection and support of domestic workers in Saudi Arabia is essential to ensure:
Domestic workers obtain their full rights.
Protect them from exploitation and abuse.
Improving their living conditions.
Enhancing cooperation between employers and workers.
Creating a safe and stable work environment for workers.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is making great efforts to enhance the protection and support of domestic workers, and therefore it has launched many initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of this group and ensuring that they obtain their full rights.
However, there are still some challenges facing these efforts, which hinder this group from obtaining their full rights.
Therefore, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues its efforts to address these challenges, through cooperation between all concerned parties.
Together, we can build a better future for domestic workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a future that contributes to strengthening a culture of respect for human rights and achieving sustainable development for all.
