Saudi origin wives of Saudi nationals have now embarked on a “domestic” mission: Looking for Saudi housemaids to get through their day-to-day chores. A recent news report said that the first batch of Saudi housemaids has begun work, this after years of the profession being restricted mostly to women of Asian nationalities. “This move will help me cope with many difficulties. Though I have learnt Arabic and a lot about Saudi culture, it would be more convenient if we were able to find a Saudi helper who can make Saudi food and can communicate in Arabic with a pure accent,” said Umm Yasin Bin Mehfooz, who is from the South Indian city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, and is married to a Saudi businessman here. “We do not have a joint family system in the Kingdom because of which I cannot meet with our in-laws on a daily basis. This impedes my learning process that would help me to adjust to Saudi society. With a Saudi housemaid around, I would be able to learn from her without any hesitation,” said Umm Yasin. Around 100 women have applied for the job of housemaid and are awaiting interviews by an employment agency, which has already dispatched the first group of 30 Saudi housemaids to work. Marry Henry, originally an American national, who is now Marrium Qahtani after she married Muhammad Qahtani, a Saudi national, believes that employing a Saudi housemaid is a “good idea” as she said it would help her learn Saudi culture and tradition. “I love to see the surprised expression on my in-laws' faces when I try to show off my limited skills in Saudi etiquette and language,” Qahtani exclaimed. “I still have to learn the Saudi way of dress, their lifestyle, norms, language, etc. All this is possible if there is always someone with me who can teach me,” said Qahtani, adding that she came from a very different society and that she wants her “children to grow up under the care of a Saudi woman who can provide a good Saudi environment for them at home”. There are more than one million house workers across the Kingdom, adding up to one billion riyals in revenue per month in terms of their total salaries. As compared to recent years, there is a 20 percent increase in this revenue. However, the Saudi Ministry of Labor is recruiting more housemaids from African countries apparently for reduced costs in terms of their salary demands. “The cost of recruiting a housemaid from abroad has increased, and in most cases, these foreign maids run away in search of greener pastures, which they are easily able to find by doing illegal work in the house of their choice,” said Rubina Shakir, a British housewife married to Dr. Bander T. M., a Saudi eye specialist. “Saudi housemaids have salary expectations up to SR1,500 per month. This is reasonable as the other maids, who may run away, demand similar amounts. “Since some of these maids have intolerable habits, it is better to hire Saudi housemaids to suit our needs,” said Shakir. The average pay demand of a runaway maid ranges from SR700 to SR1000, and it goes up to SR1,500 during Ramadan, as the month is considered a busy time for Saudi households. However, for Umm Sa'ad Ba-Dawood, a South African married to a Saudi businessman, it is “difficult to adjust to the timings of a Saudi housemaid”. “Saudi lifestyle is different. The restrictions set for Saudi housemaids include working for only eight hours a day, the male head of the household being absent from the home, transport facilities being provided for the maid, makes things very complex,” said Umm Sa'ad. She said Indonesian housemaids, “who are professional, speedy in their work, and are available for 24 hours a day” are her choice for house help. Indonesian housemaids comprise about 60 to 70 percent of all the housemaids working in the Kingdom. However, Umm Sa'ad said she prefers a Saudi housemaid so that she can “learn the Islamic way of life”. “And maybe, she will be able to look after my children's Arabic homework if she has a primary school certificate at the least,” added Umm Sa'ad, for whom Arabic letters are totally “alien”.
