RIYADH: Saudi Arabia Wednesday said it would stop granting work permits to domestic workers from Indonesia and the Philippines, following hiring conditions imposed by the Asian countries. The Ministry of Labor said it would “stop issuing work visas to bring domestic workers from Indonesia and the Philippines, effective from Saturday (July 2)” due to “the terms of recruitment announced by the two countries.” “The ministry's decision coincides with its great efforts to open new channels to bring domestic workers from other sources,” ministry spokesman Hattab Bin Saleh Al-Enezi, said. It is estimated that the two countries will lose a total of SR65 billion in annual remittances. The two countries have been unable to reach agreement with the Kingdom on working hours, pay and other conditions. Saudi recruiters say that Indonesian recruiters now want SR10,000 for one Indonesian domestic worker, which is considered too much money. Sources have estimated that there are three million Indonesian workers in the Kingdom. Of this total 1.2 million earn a minimum salary of SR1,000 a month. Their annual remittances are about SR40 billion. The same sources said there are 800,000 Filipino workers earning on average SR1,300 a month; with total annual remittances of SR25 billion. The Kingdom is seeking to recruit domestic workers from Kenya, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Okaz/Saudi Gazette/SPA __
