Hiring a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia is a legal relationship, not a private arrangement. Two regulators sit on top of it: the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), which writes the rules, and Musaned, which enforces them through the e-contract and (from January 2026) through the mandatory e-salary system.
This is what the law actually requires — both of the worker and of you — in 2026, sourced clause by clause from Ministerial Decision 310/1434, the 2024 reform decision, and the current Musaned/HRSD guidance. Get any of these wrong and you risk both a labor complaint and the loss of your future recruitment quota.
The legal framework in 2026
Saudi Arabia regulates domestic workers separately from the general Labor Law. The base document is Ministerial Decision 310/1434 (issued 2013, in force in 2026 with amendments). Three layers sit on top of it:
- The 2024 reform decision (Ministerial Decision 40676/1445) added explicit maximum working-hours rules and other protections — referenced in current HRSD enforcement.
- The Wage Protection System for domestic workers, mandatory in full from January 1, 2026, requires all salaries to flow through Musaned-linked banking/digital channels.
- The Cooperative Health Insurance Council (CCHI) framework, which mandates health insurance for domestic workers as a residency-issuance prerequisite.
Below: every right the worker has, every duty you have as the employer, and what happens if either side breaks the rules.
The worker's core rights
These come directly from Decision 310/1434 and are enforceable through HRSD.
1. Weekly paid rest day
Every domestic worker is entitled to at least one paid rest day per week. The day can be agreed between the parties; what matters is that it is paid and not absorbed back into the working week.
2. Annual leave — one month every TWO years
This is the most commonly misunderstood entitlement. Decision 310/1434 (Article 10) sets paid annual leave at one month after every TWO years of continuous service — not one month per year. If your worker has been with you for two years, she earns one paid month off and the contract auto-renewal can be timed around it. Calling it an "annual leave" misleads many employers — it's a biennial entitlement under the domestic-worker regulation.
3. Sick leave — 30 days per year
Article 11 grants up to thirty days of paid sick leave per year, conditional on a medical report from a recognised facility. Self-certification is not enough; document everything. The 30 days are not cumulative across years — they reset annually.
4. End-of-service award — one month after four years
Article 16 sets the end-of-service award at the equivalent of one month's wage, payable after four continuous years of service with the same employer. This is notably less generous than the general Saudi Labor Law gratuity formula (which gives half a month per year for the first five years and a full month thereafter for non-domestic workers) — domestic-worker EOS is a flat structure tied to the four-year threshold.
5. Suitable accommodation and meals
You are obligated to provide a suitable, private, hygienic living space and adequate meals throughout the contract. "Suitable" is not defined in dimensions, but a separate room with privacy is the operative standard. Sharing a bedroom with adult children of the household is not compliant.
6. Working hours and rest breaks
The original Decision 310/1434 set general principles around rest and treatment without an explicit daily maximum. The 2024 reform (Ministerial Decision 40676/1445) introduced explicit maximum working-hours rules and rest periods, including breaks for meals and worship that do not count toward working time. Confirm the current maximum with HRSD or your recruitment office at contract signing — the figure depends on the worker's role (live-in vs daily attendance).
7. Passport and identity documents
Confiscating a domestic worker's passport is contrary to both the domestic-worker regulations and Saudi anti-trafficking law. The passport remains the worker's property. The employer's legitimate need to verify identity is met by the Iqama; the original passport must be returned on request and at contract end.
The employer's core duties
These are the obligations on you — what HRSD will check if a complaint is filed and what Musaned enforces electronically.
1. Pay through the e-salary system (from January 2026)
As of January 1, 2026, every domestic-worker salary in Saudi Arabia must flow through a Musaned-linked banking channel — a participating bank account, a digital wallet linked to Musaned, or a Mada card issued in the worker's name. Cash hand-over is no longer compliant. See our cost-of-hiring breakdown for how this changes your cash flow.
2. Provide mandatory health insurance
Health insurance via a CCHI-approved insurer is a prerequisite for issuing or renewing the worker's residency. Annual premium ranges roughly SAR 700–1,500 depending on the worker's age and the chosen tier. Check the renewal date — letting it lapse blocks the Iqama renewal.
3. Issue and maintain the Iqama
The residence permit must be issued via Absher within roughly three months of the worker's arrival and kept current throughout the contract. A lapsed Iqama blocks future transfers, complicates payments, and exposes the worker to status risk that the law holds you responsible for.
4. Honor the Musaned e-contract terms
The contract you sign in Musaned is the binding document. You cannot demote, change role significantly, or impose tasks outside the scope without an amendment registered through Musaned. Side agreements written separately do not override the official contract.
5. Cover the return ticket at contract end
The worker's repatriation flight is the employer's obligation at end of contract (and traditionally one round-trip during longer contracts). Budget SAR 1,500–3,000 round-trip depending on origin and season.
6. Do not assign the worker to a third party
"Lending" your domestic worker to a relative, friend, or business is a violation. The worker is contracted to your household at the specified address — not transferable as a favor. Each hire is one-to-one between sponsor and worker.
What happens when either side breaks the rules
HRSD's complaint and dispute-resolution process for domestic workers runs through three channels in 2026:
- Musaned complaint module — workers and employers can file an electronic complaint directly through the Musaned platform, attached to the e-contract record.
- HRSD unified contact number 19911 — phone-based complaints, in Arabic, English, and several major source-country languages.
- Specialised Domestic Workers Settlement Committees — first-instance dispute resolution under HRSD before escalation to the Labor Courts.
Employer-side consequences range from administrative fines to a temporary suspension of recruitment privileges (which blocks new visas for future domestic workers) to, in serious cases, criminal liability under anti-trafficking law. Worker-side consequences typically involve contract termination and immigration status changes that HRSD coordinates with Jawazat.
What changed in the 2024 reforms
Ministerial Decision 40676/1445 (signed late 2024, effective September 2024) was the most significant update to domestic-worker rules since the original 2013 regulation. Human Rights Watch's analysis highlights the key changes:
- Explicit maximum daily working hours, with required rest breaks between work periods.
- Updated dispute-resolution flow with clearer worker-side filing channels.
- Strengthened anti-discrimination language and clearer penalty schedule for employer non-compliance.
- Tightened contract-renewal mechanics to prevent indefinite extensions without re-signing.
The 2024 reform sits alongside Decision 310/1434, not in place of it — the older clauses on annual leave, end-of-service, and accommodation remain operative.
Three compliance mistakes to avoid
- Paying cash instead of via Musaned. From January 1, 2026, every salary payment must be electronic. Cash payments don't count toward gratuity calculations, can't be proven if a wage dispute arises, and trigger compliance flags in the e-salary system.
- Holding the worker's passport "for safekeeping." It is prohibited regardless of intent or worker consent. If you genuinely fear loss or theft, store it together at home in a place the worker can access without asking — and never use it as leverage.
- Adding unagreed tasks. Your contract specifies a role (housekeeper, nanny, driver, elderly carer). Assigning her additional roles — "can you also help in our shop on Saturdays?" — is a violation, even if you pay extra. The proper path is to register a contract amendment in Musaned.
For the practical steps of hiring through Musaned, see our Musaned step-by-step guide. For the first-year cost calculation including gratuity reserve and the e-salary cash-flow impact, see the real cost of hiring a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia. And to see who's available in your area right now, browse vetted caregivers in Saudi Arabia — every profile is approved and contactable directly via WhatsApp.