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Saudi Arabia Requires Online Submission of Domestic Work Complaints

On October 10, 2024

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) recently announced that starting from 3 October 2024, those wishing to file complaints related to domestic labour disputes must first submit their claims online through the ministry’s website.

According to the announcement, the Ministry will then attempt to settle the dispute amicably. If a settlement is not reached between the parties, the case will be referred to the courts affiliated with the Ministry of Justice to adjudicate the lawsuit.

The MHRSD stated that the decision aims to organise the roles of government agencies and distribute responsibilities according to their jurisdictions. The work of the “Domestic Labor Dispute Settlement Committee,” which focuses on amicable settlement, will be assigned to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, while the judicial work, including adjudicating cases and issuing rulings, will be assigned to the labour courts affiliated with the Ministry of Justice.

This move follows Saudi Arabia’s recent efforts to digitise many of its labour-related services and complaints procedures. In 2021, the MHRSD launched an online complaint system through its “Musaned” platform, allowing employers to file complaints against recruitment agencies without needing to visit labour offices or other channels. However, this system excluded domestic workers.

While online complaint systems may appear to make filing easier, many domestic workers face significant barriers, foremost of which is lack of access to communication devices. Our research over several years shows that the majority of employers do not allow workers to hold and use their mobile devices freely. Even those who do have a device must contend with limited internet access, language barriers, lack of awareness, and the complexity of navigating websites—most of which only accommodate Arabic and English. This means that many domestic workers will struggle to file complaints against their employers by themselves. Even in the rare circumstances that the worker has a device and access to internet and the knowledge to file a complaint, to do so while still residing with the employer is bound to attract retribution. If they leave the household in order to do so, they run the risk of being reported as absconding.  

Due to these long-standing barriers, complaints by domestic workers against employers are low in Saudi Arabia. There are no effective inspection mechanisms or enforcement of domestic worker laws. As a result, many domestic workers are forced to work in violation of regulations and face abuse.

Most cases registered by the Ministry against employers involve allowing domestic workers to work for themselves or others. According to the MHRSD, in the third quarter of 2024, 222 employers were reported for violations. These violations included allowing domestic workers to work independently or for others and assigning tasks outside their agreed-upon duties. Although the Ministry did not provide specific details, it noted that employers faced either fines or recruitment bans.