RIYADH — Competent authorities in Ethiopia have completed the procedures for sending 2,800 domestic workers to the Kingdom. An official source in the Ethiopian Consulate General in Jeddah confirmed that employment offices in Ethiopia, estimated at about 150, were making preparations to send the domestic workers. They are waiting for the completion of the procedures in the Kingdom, he said, adding that the recruitment is expected to start within the next two months. He said these workers were well qualified as they received professional training on housework. They are also getting educated about the customs and traditions of the Kingdom, Al-Madina newspaper reported. The source estimated the cost of employing Ethiopian domestic workers to be between SR7,000 and SR8,000 while their monthly salary would be SR800. He said they would follow a recruitment method of rental that ends in sponsorship transfer. He explained that the worker will be recruited under companies and offices licensed by the Saudi authorities and these offices will rent the domestic workers to individuals for an initial period of three months and then transfer the sponsorship to the employer as per an agreement. The Ministry of Labor and Social Development in the Kingdom signed with Ethiopia recently a bilateral agreement to bring Ethiopian domestic workers to the country. The terms of the agreement include adopting a unified labor contract for domestic workers, ensuring the recruitment of domestic workers through recruitment agencies and companies licensed by Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian government committing to taking necessary measures to ensure the workforce is qualified, medically fit and meets all criteria required for employment in the Kingdom in accordance with the required job specifications.
