Through licensed recruitment offices only

Recruiting a domestic worker through a licensed recruitment office

When a family decides to recruit a domestic worker, many questions come up: where do I start, which office should I choose, what must the contract include, and how do I know an offer is clear and complete? In Saudi Arabia, recruitment is a regulated process that runs through licensed recruitment offices and companies and official channels — not a private deal between individuals.

With SaudiMaid you describe your family’s needs once, and your request reaches licensed recruitment offices and companies serving your city, who contact you with written offers. We don’t recruit or employ anyone; we pass your request to licensed providers so you can compare and choose calmly.

Request recruitment offersFree, no obligation

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Who is recruitment right for?

Recruitment suits a family that needs a live-in domestic worker for a long period, usually a full contract term, living with the family in suitable accommodation in the home and helping with everyday housework. It is common in large homes, when there are young children, when both parents work, or when an older relative needs daily help.

With recruitment, the family is the employer and carries an employer’s obligations towards the worker for the whole contract. So the decision deserves calm thought: does the family really need a live-in worker for a long time, or would a shorter arrangement do?

If you need help for a few months, or don’t want to go through recruitment, a monthly domestic worker through a licensed company may suit you better. If you need a set number of hours a week, read about hourly domestic help.

How recruitment works through official channels

In Saudi Arabia, recruitment runs through recruitment offices and companies licensed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and through an official platform where recruitment requests and contracts are handled. A licensed office explains the procedure, presents the contract and follows the request until the worker arrives.

That’s why you should never deal with anyone offering “ready workers” outside official channels, or asking for money without a clear contract. Dealing with an unlicensed party can put you in breach of the rules, gives you no protection if something goes wrong, and doesn’t protect the worker’s rights either.

With SaudiMaid your request only reaches licensed providers, and the contract stays between you and the office you choose, through official channels. We always recommend checking an office’s licence before any agreement.

Steps and documents in general terms

Details vary by office and current rules, but the journey usually goes through these stages:

Defining what the family needs: duties, home size, children or older relatives.
Choosing a licensed recruitment office and comparing written offers.
Checking your eligibility to recruit under the rules — the office explains them.
Signing the domestic work contract and the recruitment contract through official channels.
Following the official procedures until the worker arrives.
Welcoming the worker, preparing her accommodation and starting the agreed guarantee period.

The office will ask for the documents your case needs — only send documents to a licensed provider through clear channels. Read how to recruit through official channels.

What to agree in the contract

A clear contract protects the family and the worker alike and prevents most disagreements before they start. Make sure it sets out:

The duties, clearly — housework, help with cooking or childcare.
Daily working hours and rest periods, and the weekly rest day.
The agreed salary, when it is paid and how, through approved channels.
Suitable accommodation, food and health care.
The contract term, annual leave and the return ticket at the end, as the rules require.
The guarantee or replacement period, and what happens during it.

Ask the office to explain each clause before you sign. Read the domestic work contract: what it must include.

Your obligations as an employer and the worker’s rights

A good relationship with a domestic worker starts with respect and clarity. The worker is entitled to her full salary on time, daily rest and a weekly rest day, decent accommodation, food and health care, and to keep her own passport and personal documents.

The employer must not ask the worker to do work outside the contract, work for other people, or dangerous work. If a disagreement arises, it is settled by talking first and then through the competent official channels. These aren’t restrictions on the family — they are the basis of a stable relationship in which everyone feels at ease.

Worker rights and employer obligationsWhat both sides agree in the domestic work contract, and how to start the relationship with respect and clarity.

Questions to ask the recruitment office

What is your licence number, and how can I check it through official channels?
What exactly does the offer include, and what doesn’t it include?
How long are the procedures expected to take, and when do they start?
What is the guarantee or replacement period, and what are its conditions?
Does the offer include insurance on the recruitment contract, and what does it cover?
How do you follow up the request, and who do I contact if there is a problem?
What is your refund policy if the request is not completed?

What affects the cost of recruitment?

We don’t list prices or fees, because they vary by office, request and the rules in force. But these factors usually shape the offers:

The country of recruitment and the official fees linked to it.
What the office’s offer includes in services and follow-up.
The guarantee or replacement period, and contract insurance if any.
Travel tickets and arrival costs.
The salary and benefits agreed in the contract.

Official cost information is available through official channels. Read what affects the cost of recruitment.

Available in these cities

Domestic worker recruitment: FAQ

Is SaudiMaid a recruitment office?

No. We pass your request to licensed recruitment offices and companies; we don’t recruit, employ or transfer workers. The contract is between you and the office you choose, through official channels.

Can I choose the country of recruitment?

You can name a preferred country in your request or choose “no preference”; the licensed office explains which countries are currently open under the rules.

What is the guarantee period?

A period after the worker arrives during which certain situations can be resolved or a replacement arranged, according to the contract and the rules. Ask the office for its length and conditions in writing, and read the guarantee and replacement period explained.