It will cost SR17,000 to recruit a domestic worker once the new mega recruitment companies are set up in the country, according to Saad Al-Badah, Chairman of the National Committee for Recruitment. Al-Badah was quoted as saying in a section of the Arabic press on Monday that this amount covers the recruitment and travel fees and not the worker's salary, which will be determined at the start of the recruitment process. He said the Saudi Company for Recruitment established by a group of investors is scheduled to be operational in June 2012 in Riyadh. The company will only be ready to receive recruitment applications from that date. He said the ban on workers from Indonesia and the Philippines may be resolved when the new companies start operating. He said no new recruitment markets for domestic helpers have been opened so far. Al-Badah said the new mega recruitment companies will help to control costs and eliminate brokers who overcharge employers.
