The Saudi government has announced that no form of job advertisements, whether on paper or online, should use the word ‘maid’ after it has considered it to be derogatory under new regulations aimed to uphold the rights of foreign workers in terms of the recruitment process.
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According to the Saudi Ministry of Commerce, job advertisements should not include terms such as “servant” or “maid”, and instead, advertise for “workers”.
Now, Use of ‘Maid’ in Job Adverts Considered Derogatory in Saudi Arabia
Moreover, the new directives lay down that workers will not bear any financial costs “under any circumstances” for exchanges of work permits or similar paperwork changes, the National reported
According to the new directives, such changes can be made only with the workers’ consent and employers cannot refer to such payments in job advertisements.
In line with this, advertisements are not allowed to publish personal photos, identity card copies, residency permit or any other personal data.
Saudi Arabia is home to 10 million foreign workers, including 3.7 million domestic workers, and has taken measures in recent years to boost employment protection and prevent abuse.
Meanwhile, Saudis and expatriates living in the kingdom praised the changes.
Since March 14, expatriates no longer need their employers’ permission to change jobs, travel or leave Saudi Arabia, as part of the National Transformation Programme under Vision 2030.
Under the Programme, Saudi intends to improve the citizen and residents’ living standards by improving the quality of services provided in Saudi cities and improving the living conditions of expats in the Kingdom, among others.
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