Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has issued new regulations protecting domestic workers' rights.

Employers found guilty of mistreating domestic workers will face fines of up to SR2000 and a one-year recruitment ban. Additionally, the regulations also outline potential penalties for workers who disclose their employers' ‘secrets’.

A domestic worker who violates these regulations could face a fine of up to SR2,000, as well as a permanent ban from working in the Kingdom.

When multiple violations occur, the worker is responsible for returning to their home country. If the domestic worker can’t afford to pay the fines, the state will cover their repatriation expenses.

Fines collected will be transferred to a bank account, from where they will be disbursed for the accommodation and deportation of domestic workers.

This process will follow a mechanism approved by the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.

The regulations emphasise that the domestic worker must adhere to their agreed-upon work to avoid fines and deportation. They must also respect their employer’s property, not harm family members, and maintain the confidentiality of any information about their employer and family that they learn during their employment.

A fine of not more than SR2,000 or a one-year recruitment ban can be imposed on employers who violate the regulations. Repeated violations increase the fine to a range of SR2,000 to SR5,000 and could result in a recruitment ban of up to three years. A third offence might lead to a permanent ban on recruitment.

Additionally, employers are prohibited from assigning workers work beyond what they have agreed to, except in cases of extreme necessity. The worker should be paid the agreed-upon wage monthly in cash, check or transferred to their bank account, and should receive no less than 9 hours of rest daily.

Punitive measures such as these are in accordance with article 7 of the Labor Law, which seeks to prevent domestic workers from doing work that may endanger their health, safety, or dignity.