Saudi Arabia has introduced stricter rules for issuing visas to recruit domestic workers from abroad, saying that the minimum age for a single employer to obtain such a visa is 24 years.

The regulations, recently announced by Musaned, a government platform overseeing domestic labor in Saudi Arabia, outline specific eligibility criteria for visa applications. Under these rules, Saudi citizens, Gulf nationals, foreign wives of Saudi men and their mothers, along with holders of Saudi premium residency permits, can apply for visas to hire overseas domestic labor, contingent on the financial capabilities of the employers.

This move comes as part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to streamline and regulate the domestic labor market. The Ministry of Human Resources has established the Musaned platform to empower customers with information about their rights, duties, and related services. These services encompass visa issuance, recruitment requests, and the contractual relationship between employers and workers.

The Musaned platform facilitates wage transfers to labor through digital services such as STC pay and Urpay apps. Additionally, it offers features like the transfer of a house worker’s service between employers, authentication of domestic labor contracts, and the resolution of disputes.