Shoura panel moots hiring of maids via GCC offices

The Shoura Council’s committee for human resources management has proposed that Saudi Arabia starts recruiting domestic workers through recruitment offices in all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. 

The committee had at a recent meeting adopted the recommendations of Shoura member Fahd bin Juma, who had argued that this would reduce time taken to hire workers and ensure employers paid lower salaries. It would also provide access to qualified employees, and see sponsors have access to workers from more countries.

The committee had called on the Ministry of Labor to find ways to reduce high recruitment costs, including domestic workers, in line with a previous Shoura decision that the ministry should set wages at reasonable levels

The committee also called on the ministry to evaluate whether the Nitaqat program was suitable for companies and institutions in the Kingdom and was helping to create jobs for Saudis. The ministry should also review standards and mechanisms for issuing visas to ensure there is balance between hiring expatriates and local people.