RIYADH — A Shoura Council member has suggested allowing foreign domestic workers' recruitment offices to conduct business in the Kingdom. Shoura Council member, Saud Al-Subaie, said the Kingdom should give the opportunity for foreign domestic workers recruitment offices to invest in the Saudi market. "We would solve many of our current issues in regards to domestic workers including the great demand for domestic workers, the lack of sufficient supply from our current recruitment offices," Al-Subaie said. He said that foreign domestic workers' recruitment offices would be subjected to the same rules and regulations Saudi offices are subject to. "The procedures for such a foreign investment should also be facilitated. The foreign government should allow the foreign investor to freely interact with the Saudi market and conform to its regulations. The current state of the recruitment business does not reflect that. Currently, Saudi investors are the ones that go to foreign countries and negotiate with their governments to strike a recruitment deal." He added Saudi investors are then obliged to conform to the rules and regulations of foreign countries in addition to the rules and regulations of the Saudi government. "Such bureaucracy is hindering the supply of domestic workers and it is prioritizing the profit of foreign governments over the benefits of Saudi clients. "Foreign governments can take the necessary precautions according to their laws to ensure they are protected whenever a worker escapes from their Saudi sponsors or refuse to work," Al-Subaie said. "Allowing foreign domestic workers recruitment offices into the Saudi market will solve the issue of workers escaping from their sponsors or refusing to work and will enable the Saudi sponsor to directly interact with the foreign domestic workers recruitment offices." He said the arrangement would also decrease the rates for workers, and add competition to the recruitment business. "The recruitment business is not currently meeting the demands of the Saudi market. Recruitment offices are unable to strike deals with foreign governments and are unable to protect the interest of the Saudi client," Al-Subaie said. He added the current recruitment offices are unable to provide insurance to the Saudi clients in case that a domestic worker escapes or refuses to work. "The current recruitment offices cannot have an influence on foreign press whenever the reputation of the Kingdom when it comes to treating expatriates is slandered. The rates are also being hiked without any control as there are recruitment fees reaching up to SR23,000 when the price needed is only SR2,000," he said.
