Online portal to help Saudi sponsors recruit domestics

RIYADH: An online portal has been launched to help citizens to recruit their male and female domestic workers without being exploited by middlemen.
The new portal — available on Labor and Social Development Ministry’s website musaned.gov.sa — will provide a list of the agencies that are authorized to process the recruitment of these workers.
The portal also has details about nationalities and a variety of jobs available, in addition to the costs and the waiting period for the arrival of recruits which should not exceed 60 days .
Khalid Aba Al-Khail, the ministry’s spokesman, said the Musaned website also allows the parties involved in the contractual process to know the mechanisms to file complaints and resolve disputes.
The website contains the forms and documents required for the recruitment of domestic aides submitted by the concerned parties, said the spokesman.
There is also information about the costs for different types job categories from different nationalities.
He called on the clients to report any differences on the announced costs on the website through the ministry’s formal communication channels.
The period for the recruitment process should not exceed 60 days since the date of signing of the contract. Initial payment at the time of signing the contract would not exceed more than 25 percent of its value and the remaining amount would be paid once the visa is stamped on the passport of the worker, according to the official.
Clients can also find status updates on the site during the process.
A fine of SR100 will be imposed on the job agent for each day of delay for a maximum of period of 30 days.
The contract will be canceled if the manpower was not supplied during the required time and the clients will receive refunds along with fines.