Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Philippines has eased conditions for the recruitment of domestic workers in Saudi Arabia as demand surges ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, despite continuing strains over the execution of a Filipina maid in late January for murder.

Saudi recruitment offices will now be able to deal with four manpower exporting agencies instead of two, in a move that is also expected to reduce the costs of bringing workers into the country, Saudi Gazette reported.

Hakeem Al-Khinaizi, owner of a recruitment office in Dammam, said Saudi recruiters can start setting up offices in the Philippines and open contract talks. He said it will cost about 17,000 Saudi riyals (US$4,629) to import a domestic worker from the Philippines, plus 2,000 riyals ($533) for the visa fee and 850 riyals ($226) in taxes.

Al-Khinaizi said the changes will help overcome recruitment delays that occur when a maid refuses to board her flight to Saudi Arabia at the last minute or is found to be carrying an infectious disease.

“In such cases, the recruitment offices in the Philippines will have to start the procedures from the beginning, which will require more time,” he said.

About a quarter of the estimated 2.3 million Filipinos working overseas are based in Saudi Arabia, which most employed as domestic workers. A maid earns a fixed monthly salary of 1,500 riyals (US$400).

Despite the importance of the Saudi employment market to the Philippines, relations have been strained by accusations of maids being mistreated  by employers and the execution of a 39-year-old Filipina in January for murder after her family was unable to pay so-called blood money under traditional Sharia law.

Join the Conversation

1183 Comments

  1. Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossips and internet and this is really frustrating. A good web site with interesting content, that is what I need. Thanks for keeping this website, I will be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Can not find it.

  2. Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their store. I’d prefer to use some with the content on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!

  4. I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thank you, I?¦ll try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your website?

  5. hi!,I like your writing so much! share we communicate more about your post on AOL? I need a specialist on this area to solve my problem. May be that’s you! Looking forward to see you.

  6. I needed to write you this little bit of word just to thank you very much again for your magnificent thoughts you have featured in this article. It has been really strangely generous of you to make without restraint what most of us could possibly have made available as an e book to get some cash on their own, most importantly considering that you could possibly have done it if you wanted. Those strategies also served to become a great way to know that many people have the same zeal just as my very own to grasp much more with reference to this condition. I’m certain there are thousands of more enjoyable situations ahead for those who see your blog post.

  7. I haven¦t checked in here for a while since I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are great quality so I guess I will add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂

  8. What i don’t understood is in truth how you’re no longer actually much more well-liked than you may be now. You are very intelligent. You realize therefore considerably relating to this matter, made me individually imagine it from numerous various angles. Its like men and women are not interested until it?¦s something to do with Lady gaga! Your personal stuffs nice. All the time maintain it up!

  9. It is appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I want to suggest you some interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article. I want to read more things about it! social media marketing expert