Domestic workers in Saudi Arabia — house workers, private drivers, and similar categories — are not treated like ordinary private-sector employees on the Qiwa platform. They fall under a separate framework run by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development through the Musaned platform. The difference is not cosmetic: the rules on contracts, wages, transfers, absence reports, and end-of-service benefits are all different. This page summarizes the rights as the official platforms publish them, as part of the expats and residency materials on Hala Law.
A framework separate from the ordinary Labor Law
The general labor rights rules — the Labor Law and the Qiwa platform — govern establishment employees. The relationship between a domestic employer and a domestic worker is governed by a separate regulation and documented through Musaned. Musaned states that the domestic-work contract should use the official Arabic form with a translation into the worker's language, and that the worker's rights can be proven even without a written contract.
The core rights as Musaned publishes them
| Right | Substance |
|---|---|
| Wages | Paid monthly in Saudi currency |
| Wage deductions | Only in limited cases, with controls |
| Passport and documents | The employer may not retain them |
| Accommodation and food | Suitable housing and meals |
| Personal safety | No violence, abuse, discrimination, sexual harassment, or forced labor |
| Nature of the work | No dangerous work; no assignment to another person without a proper basis |
| Communication | The right to contact the embassy and official authorities |
| Rest | Daily rest, breaks, and weekly paid rest |
| Leave | Sick leave and prescribed leave |
| End-of-service benefit | One month's wage for every four consecutive years of service |
End-of-service benefit: a different rule
The domestic-worker rule — one month's wage per four consecutive years — is entirely different from the ordinary Labor Law formula of half a month then a full month per year. Mixing the two rules up is one of the most common errors in circulating content, which is why the worker's classification is established first, before any entitlement is calculated.
Absence reports for domestic workers
Absence reports — previously known as huroob reports in older content, now termed tagayyub / Absent from Work — have specific domestic-worker rules per the ministry's announcement:
- The employer may cancel the report within 15 days of filing it; after that it becomes final unless a Musaned transfer route or a final-exit route applies.
- A worker in the Kingdom for less than two years may have a final-exit route within 60 days.
- A worker beyond two years may have final exit or transfer to a new employer within 60 days, depending on eligibility.
An important caveat: this 15-day window is documented for domestic workers specifically. It should not be generalized to professional workers on Qiwa without verifying the actual process there.
Transfer without the employer's consent
The ministry's rules list cases in which a domestic worker's services may be transferred without the current employer's consent, including: wage delays of three consecutive or intermittent months, failure to issue or renew the Iqama, assignment to dangerous work, abuse, a false absence report, and the employer's non-attendance at hearings in a pending dispute. For establishment workers facing wage delays, the parallel rule is covered on the unpaid wages options page.
Violation penalties
The ministry's domestic-worker violations page lists penalties on both sides:
| Party | Listed penalties |
|---|---|
| Employer | Fines up to SAR 20,000, a recruitment ban, or both, depending on the violation |
| Worker | Fines up to SAR 2,000, or a work ban |
When do you need a licensed lawyer?
The information here is a general framework, not an assessment of a specific case. The matter becomes a private case calling for a licensed lawyer or accredited consultant when:
- An absence report believed to be false stands, and the handling windows are close to expiring.
- A passport is being retained or the worker is prevented from contacting their embassy.
- Unpaid wages accumulate alongside a dispute over end-of-service entitlements.
- There are incidents of abuse or dangerous-work assignment needing documentation and urgent action.
In these situations, each party's position rests on the proof presented to the competent authorities, and the official channels — Musaned and the ministry — remain the reference for the live status of each file.