Insurance coverage for new domestic workers comes into effect today

 Insurance coverage for new domestic worker contracts will be effective today, Feb.1 and will be applied to workers coming to Saudi Arabia for the first time via the Musaned platform.

The insurance coverage for domestic workers’ employment contracts for the first two years from the beginning of the contract will be part of the employer’s contracting procedures with the recruitment office. After two years, the insurance can be extended based on the employer's choice.

The insurance service allows the employer and the domestic worker to be compensated in a number of cases starting from the date the domestic worker starts working.

The initiative also contributes to achieving many benefits for the employer, such as compensating the employer for recruitment expenses in the event of absence, escape, death, the worker’s inability to work, or suffering from chronic diseases that hinder them from performing their work, in addition to compensating the employer for the expenses of returning the body, belongings, and personal property in case of the death of the domestic worker.

The service guarantees the preservation of the domestic worker’s rights in cases such as compensating the worker in the event of total permanent disability (TPD) or permanent partial disability (PPD), resulting from an accident and compensating him in case the employer fails to pay salaries and financial dues because of the employer’s death, TPD, or PPD.

Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed that the number of domestic workers in Saudi Arabia reached about 3.74 million by the end of Q3 2023.

Domestic workers specialized in the service and cleaning field topped the list with about 1.84 million, followed by those specialized in driving with nearly 1.8 million. The two groups constitute 97.5% of the total domestic workers, as the following table shows: