Saudi Resumes Hiring Filipino Workers With Fair Treatment Protections In Place

Saudi Arabia will start re-hiring Filipino workers on Monday, with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) announcing that the maximum limit of recruitment fee for domestic workers from the Philippines has been set at SR17288.

In a statement, the MHRSD advised recruitment agencies to strictly comply with the new price ceiling to avoid repercussions.

"This is to avoid the penalties stipulated in the regulations of the Labor Law with regard to the recruitment activity and offering of labor services," MHRSD spokesman Saad Al Hammad said.

The deployment of newly hired Filipino workers to Saudi Arabia comes nearly two months after the country signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) with the Philippines on Sept. 13. Signed by MHRSD Minister Ahmed Al-Rajhi and Philippines Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople, the memorandum intends to lift the ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to the Kingdom, including domestic workers.

The agreement also marks the continuation of Saudi Arabia's bilateral ties with the Philippines and the extension of their economic cooperation. It also reflects the MHRSD and DMW's shared vision in reinforcing the protection of human rights of migrant workers in the Kingdom.

Employment contracts will include air fares, insurance coverage for unpaid salaries and refund of recruitment costs if the contract is terminated, said Ople, Arab News reported.

In December 2021, the DMW suspended the deployment of Filipino workers to Saudi Arabia, following the latter's alleged failure to provide fair treatment and protection to Filipino workers. That same month, the MHRSD suspended the issuance of visas for Filipino domestic workers.

In the case of home support workers, the ban was instigated by the alleged physical abuse suffered by five Filipina domestic workers in the hands of their retired Saudi general employer. Following the repatriation of the workers, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration discovered the accused Saudi general was able to continue hiring Filipino household helpers despite the string of physical abuse and maltreatment complaints filed against them.

The new MoC between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines stipulates the creation of a technical working group that will monitor the implementation of labor reforms in both countries, and resolve the concerns of migrant workers. It also involves the creation of a blacklist and whitelist of recruitment agencies and employers and the revision of the standard of employment contract of overseas Filipino workers in keeping with the Saudi Labor Reform Initiatives.

The most preferred location for migrant workers from the Philippines is Saudi Arabia. As many as one in five Filipinos working outside the country are in the Kingdom, and are generally employed in construction or healthcare or as household workers.