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Riyadh: In what seems another blow to the Saudi housemaids market, Indonesia announced that its has increased the recruitment fees of its housemaids who would work in Saudi Arabia, Saudi officials said.
The Indonesian move came a few weeks after the Philippines decided to increase the monthly salary of its housemaids who would like to work in the kingdom.
The Philippines government, in a bid to improve the conditions of its housemaids working in Saudi Arabia, has put tough recruitment conditions including the increase of the monthly salary for every housemaid to 1,500 riyals (Dh1,500) instead of 700 riyals (Dh700), Saudi officials said.
Abdullah Al Abdul Lateef, member of the recruitment committee at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), told reporters in Riyadh yesterday that the Indonesian side has increased the recruitment cost of a housemaid by 470 Saudi riyals (Dh470) without consultation with the Saudi side.
"This has led to the increase of recruitment costs of a single housemaid to 6,000 riyals, including 2,000 riyals fees collected by the Saudi foreign ministry," he said.
Talks planned
He noted that a delegation from the national recruitment committee of the Council of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry is planning to visit Jakarta within the coming few days to discuss these developments with the Indonesian side.
After increasing the recruitment costs, observers believe that Indonesia may follow the Philippines move to press for an increase in the salary of its housemaids seeking to work in the Kingdom.
Abdul Lateef noted that there was an agreement with the Indonesian side that no increase in recruitment costs should be applied before consultation with the Saudi recruitment committee.
The Indonesian side justified the increase in recruitment costs to the rise in ticket fares and the opening of branch offices in provinces to issue passports for housemaids recruited in these areas.
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