I completely disagree with anyone who blames Saudi families for the crisis in recruiting domestic servants. The Saudi family has nothing to do with the current stalemate. It is wrong to hold Saudi society responsible for the problems with foreign labor. The absence of an employment contract regulating the relationship between an employer and a servant is not the employer's problem. It is the mistake of the relevant authorities, which allow Saudis to recruit and hire domestic servants without any kind of employment contract that protects the rights of both parties. I am sure Saudi employers would not mind signing such a contract with a housemaid. On the contrary, they would welcome such moves as that would protect their rights if the housemaid were to run away one day. We have to admit that the Ministry of Labor has failed to tackle this issue and this failure has strengthened the position of foreign countries from where housemaids are recruited. I have heard several positive stories about the humane treatment of housemaids in Saudi households and hope the ambassadors of Indonesia and the Philippines hear these stories one day. As far as I know, I have not heard of any non-Gulf country that treats housemaids as kindly and humanely as Saudi families treat them. Countless housemaids have found peace and security in Saudi households. The fact that we have heard some negative stories does not necessarily mean that all Saudis treat housemaids inhumanely and cruelly. These are a few isolated cases and more horrific stories have taken place in different parts of the world. I know of many incidents in which housemaids were treated very cruelly and deprived of their rights in other countries. The problem currently faced in this sector can only be solved through the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NAZAHA), which is the only body that is able to identify corrupt practices and those engaging in them. Those involved in such practices are the real culprits responsible for this problem. Day after day, this problem is becoming more complicated and Saudi families continue to pay the price by being forced to spend large amounts of money to find housemaids.
