percent drop in recruitment of domestic workers from the Philippines and Indonesia has led Saudis to turn in increasing numbers to East Africa and East Asia. Owners of private recruitment agencies say that the current recruitment situation in countries that send workers is “under the control of brokers working on commission”, and that advances have been paid for contracts leaving clients at home in “an awkward situation”. The offices say they are keeping to fees set by the National Recruitment Committee, and that demand is currently high for workers from Ethiopia and Nepal. Recruitment from Ethiopia costs between SR5,500 and SR6,000 with a monthly worker's wage of SR700, and takes two months to process, they said. Wages for Cambodian domestic workers are SR600 a month. Fees for a domestic worker from Kenya are SR5,000 at a monthly wage of SR600, while fees for Nepal are SR6,000 with wages for up to 45 days ranging between SR600 and SR750. Muhsin Al-Umairi, Chairman of the Recruitment Committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said there is a fear that the recruitment company or companies due to be set up could monopolize fees. He said that recruitment agencies should be converted into companies to encourage competition, bring order to the recruitment process and keep costs down. He questioned why a minimum number of 30 agencies had been set as a requirement to found the companies. “Some regions don't have that many,” he said. “In Makkah, for example, there are only eight agencies. Ministry of Trade laws state that companies can start up with two, and there are a number of formulations to set up companies.” He warned that a housemaid's salary would be no less than SR1,800 if the ministry does not step in to set fee prices. “We will see prices go sky-high because there is only one company, or a limited number of companies, and the public will have no choice but to use those companies,” Al-Umairi said. Sa'ad Al-Baddah, Chairman of the Recruitment Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, said that the final by-law has yet to be issued. “I think it would be a little precipitous to speak about it at the moment, and it will not help in the success of the companies,” he said. “As far as I know, the law will not allow monopoly, as there will be from three to five companies in the Kingdom.” He said that fees could not be set at the current time as costs remain unknown. “There are rents and staff and other things which can't be estimated at the moment,” he said. “The important thing is that the price is set at the market abroad.” Al-Baddah added that the company – or companies — should ensure to work “primarily in the interests of the country and its people, before investors”.
