Domestic Worker Protections
Written in plain language for general understanding. This is educational content, not legal advice. Based on Saudi royal decrees, regulations, and ministerial decisions.
Saudi National Law
What is this right?
Domestic workers (housemaids, drivers, gardeners, cooks, etc.) have specific protections:
- Written contract: Employers must provide a written contract in a language the worker understands, specifying wages, duties, working hours, and rest days.
- Wages: Monthly salary must be paid on time. The minimum wage and payment method are specified in the contract.
- Rest days: Domestic workers are entitled to at least one day off per week.
- Passport retention is illegal: Employers cannot confiscate the worker's passport. This is a criminal offence.
- 9-hour rest: Workers must get at least 9 continuous hours of rest per day.
- Musaned platform: All domestic worker recruitment must go through the Musaned platform to ensure contract compliance and worker protection.
When does it apply?
- You are a domestic worker employed in a Saudi household.
- Your employer is withholding your passport, not paying wages, or denying rest days.
- You are an employer hiring a domestic worker and need to understand your obligations.
What should you do?
- Keep a copy of your employment contract — make sure it is in a language you understand.
- If your employer confiscates your passport, report it to the police or call the MHRSD hotline (19911).
- If wages are unpaid, file a complaint through MHRSD or the Musaned platform.
- Contact your embassy for assistance if you are in a difficult situation.
What should you NOT do?
- Do not hand over your passport to your employer — the law says you must keep it.
- Do not leave the employer's house without proper legal steps — absconding can result in deportation and re-entry bans. File a complaint instead.
- Do not accept work without a written contract — you need the contract to enforce your rights.
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