SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Labor Ministry urged to simplify conditions for maid recruitment

Reuters Images/Gayle St. Claire
Reuters Images/Gayle St. Claire
Reuters Images/Gayle St. Claire
Saudis in low, middle income groups believe that employing house help no longer affordable
PHOTO
Many Saudis in the low and middle income groups believe that employing house help is no longer affordable to them due to high recruitment costs and difficult visa conditions.

Applicants face various problems including long delays in processing visa applications.

Majed Abdul Aziz Al-Oqail, a handicapped Saudi, said recruitment offices were putting difficult conditions to obtain housemaid visas. “It’s beyond our capabilities,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

Most disabled persons do not receive a monthly salary and they depend on government aid. Recruitment offices demand that the applicant should have a bank balance of SR180,000.

Any applicant applying for a visa to recruit a housemaid should have a bank balance of SR35,000. If he or she wanted to recruit a second maid they should have either a monthly salary of SR6,000 or a bank balance of SR60,000. Only people with a monthly salary of SR9,000 or bank balance of SR90,000 can apply for a third visa. To get a fourth visa, the employer's monthly salary should be SR22,000 or they should be maintaining a bank balance of SR180,000. “These are difficult conditions,” he added.

Al-Oqail said he wanted to recruit a maid and a driver but he could not fulfill the recruitment office’s conditions such as the minimum monthly salary or adequate financial guarantee.

“People having disability are exempted from the recruitment fee. Why don’t they also nullify the condition of financial guarantee considering our special situation?” he asked.

Khaled Al-Mashouj said the basic condition for widows, divorcees, the elderly and handicapped to receive visas for maids and servants is a monthly salary or a bank guarantee.

“These categories of people will not be able to fulfill this condition,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Labor and Social Development should enact citizen-friendly regulations.

“There is long delay in getting work visas. For example I applied for visas to get workers for a restaurant six months ago and I am still waiting for the worker to open the restaurant. At the same time I have to pay rent for the building,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

The ministry has set a condition that companies should publicize their vacant positions for 40 days to employ Saudis before applying for recruitment visas.

“There are certain jobs like cook and waiter, which Saudis do not like. So the ministry should not insist on restaurant owners to publish such advertisements targeting Saudi job seekers,” he pointed out.

He said recruitment companies were charging prices ranging from SR14,000 to SR20,000 although the ministry has fixed the fee at SR10,000.

Khaled Abdullah Batie appreciated the performance of recruitment office in Hail. “Its services are quick and efficient and its website has expedited the process,” he said. However, he pointed out that its branch office required more employees to handle huge crowds of applicants.

Lafi Al-Harbi questioned the office for charging SR150 for the electronic service, which he said "is unacceptable."

In Asir, Yousuf Ali Mohammed Al-Jarb said the office demanded a bank balance of SR25,000 for his handicapped aunt to get a housemaid visa. “She is 70 years old and does not have any salary except social security assistance. She can only pay the salary of the maid,” he explained.

Mohammed Al-Ahmary said he had to pay SR2,000 to change the visa and recruit a maid from another country.

Jabir Al-Qahtani urged the ministry to reduce this fees from SR2,000 to SR1,000.

Mazin Al-Harbi from Madinah complained that he had applied for a maid visa seven months ago but still the maid did not arrive. “They told me that I have to wait until the completion of procedures,” he added.

An official source at the Labor and Social Development Ministry’s branch office in Madinah said applicants sign an agreement with recruitment offices. “They can complain to the Labor Office if they fail to honor contract terms,” the source said.

Fareeh Al-Ayad, director general of the ministry’s office in Hail, said the electronic system for applications was useful in issuing visas quickly. Applicants will get a reply within 24 hours.

He said the office receives 70 to 120 applications for housemaids and servants daily and the majority of them come from people with disabilities. “There are five employees to handle applicants and they are enough thanks to the electronic system,” he added.

Al-Ayad said the ministry put the condition of financial capability to ensure the rights of workers. “The conditions differ from person to person and it has been clearly explained,” he added.

© Copyright 2018 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

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