Saudi Arabia will enforce a mandatory electronic salary payment system for domestic workers starting January 1, 2026, aiming to strengthen wage protection, enhance transparency, and regulate employment relationships across the Kingdom.
Electronic Salary Payments to Replace Cash Wages
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced that employers must pay domestic workers’ wages through approved electronic channels instead of cash. This step is designed to safeguard workers’ financial rights and ensure accountable salary practices.
Musaned Platform to Handle Salary Transfers
Salary payments will be processed through the official Musaned platform, using authorized banks and digital wallets. The system provides reliable documentation of wage payments and minimizes disputes between employers and workers.
Benefits for Domestic Workers
The e-salary system ensures domestic workers receive regular and secure wage payments, provides documented proof of salaries, and simplifies procedures related to contract termination and travel.
Workers will also be able to transfer earnings to family members abroad through approved channels. If cash access is required, wages can be withdrawn via authorized outlets using a Mada card issued to the worker.
Phased Rollout Since 2024
According to Okaz newspaper, the system has been implemented gradually since mid-2024. The first phase, launched on July 1, 2024, applied to domestic workers entering Saudi Arabia for the first time, helping reduce cash-based salary payments.
Expansion Across Households in 2025
In January 2025, the requirement expanded to employers with four or more domestic workers. Further phases followed in July 2025 for households with three workers and October 2025 for those employing at least two domestic workers.
Mandatory Coverage for All Domestic Workers from 2026
From January 2026, the electronic salary system will apply to all domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, regardless of the number employed by a household, aligning with ongoing Saudi labor law reforms and wage protection initiatives.
Salary Payment Rules and Guidelines
Guidelines issued via Musaned require that salaries be paid at the end of each Hijri month according to the employment contract, unless both parties agree otherwise in writing and in compliance with wage protection regulations.
For domestic workers outside the Wage Protection System’s scope, wages may still be paid in cash or by cheque with written documentation, unless the worker requests an electronic transfer.
Improving Transparency in the Domestic Worker Sector
The ministry stated that the mandatory e-salary system will reduce disputes, streamline administrative procedures, and contribute to the professionalization and development of the domestic worker sector in Saudi Arabia.
