Okaz/Saudi Gazette DAMMAM — Negotiations between labor ministries of Saudi Arabia and Indonesia have started on expediting the return of Indonesian domestic workers to the Kingdom, according to Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom Agus Abegebriel. The ambassador, however, declined to specify a date for resuming the recruitment of workers to the Kingdom. He reiterated his assertion that Indonesia has the capability to cover Saudi Arabia's need for domestic workers once they reach an agreement on the details, overcome the obstacles for carrying out some of the conditions related to compliance of sponsors by the terms of the contract and abiding by the monthly salary specified by the Indonesian government at SR2,000, guaranteeing rights of workers and employers. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development approved a set of amendments in the regulation for receiving housemaids. Receiving female domestic workers at airports will be the full responsibility of employers. The new mechanism comprises the issuance of an exit reentry visa for female worker via Absher system, booking the flight to the Kingdom and then receiving the housemaid at the airport by the employer and not an intermediary. The ministry said the new mechanism will be implemented gradually at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh as of July 15, 2019. Later it will be implemented at all Kingdom's airports.
