Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development will start implementing the mandatory decision to transfer salaries of all domestic workers through official channels by their employers effective from January 1, 2026.

This initiative marks a significant step toward safeguarding the salary-related rights of domestic workers and enhancing transparency in the contractual relationship between employers and employees.

The electronic salary transfer service through the Musaned platform is crucial for enhancing the reliability of wage payments. This is achieved by utilizing official channels such as digital wallets and participating banks, ensuring the protection of rights, streamlining procedures for all parties, and contributing to improved quality of service and developing the domestic worker sector.

The service for paying domestic worker salaries through designated official channels offers several advantages for both employers and employees. It enhances salary verification for domestic workers, facilitates the completion of employee-related procedures upon termination of the contract or travel, and guarantees that workers receive their salaries regularly, consistently, and securely. Alternatively, workers can easily and securely transfer their salaries to their families back home through the same official channels.

The first phase of implementing this decision began on July 1, 2024, with the aim of safeguarding the rights of contractual parties, ensuring transparency in the salary payment process, and simplifying it for beneficiaries.

The first phase of salary transfer through the official channels, which began on July 1, 2024, was applicable to domestic workers arriving in Saudi Arabia for the first time, and this aimed to reduce cash transactions, improve their working environment and increase the speed and reliability of the process.

The second phase, launched in January 2025, covered employers with four or more domestic workers, while the third phase, initiated in July 2025, focused on those with three or more domestic help.

The fourth phase, which targets employers with two or more domestic workers, came into effect from Oct. 1.

According to the program developed by the Musaned platform, overseen by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the wage that the employer is obligated to pay is the wage agreed upon in the contract. This wage is paid at the end of each Hijri month to the domestic worker unless both parties agree otherwise in writing, in accordance with the regulations and instructions issued regarding wage protection.

Musaned emphasized that if domestic workers wish to withdraw their salaries in cash, they can do so through approved channels, and a Mada card will be issued to the worker for cash withdrawal.

It is worthy to note that salary transfers must be made through the approved channels if the domestic worker falls within the category covered by the Wage Protection System. Wages and entitlements can be paid in cash or by check, with written documentation, or via the domestic worker's salary card if the worker does not fall within the category covered by the Wage Protection System, unless the worker requests a transfer to a specific bank account.