Housemaid Jobs in Saudi Arabia: The Full Picture

Updated 2026-11-09

Domestic work is the single biggest job Kenyans do in the Gulf, and Saudi Arabia is its biggest market. It can fund a family and build a future - and it is also the category with the most documented abuse, because domestic workers are excluded from most of Saudi labour law. This guide is deliberately complete: the money, the system, the training, the rights, and the risks, with sources.

The one non-negotiable: your contract must be registered in Musaned, Saudi Arabia’s official domestic-labour platform, through an NEA-licensed Kenyan agency. Outside Musaned there is no registered employer, no enforceable contract and no complaint path.

The money

The Kenya-Saudi bilateral agreement sets a minimum of SAR 900 per month (about KES 31,000). Kenya’s Ombudsman documented workers recruited below it - check your own contract figure before signing.
The Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh has notified workers of a SAR 1,000 general minimum from February 2026.
Housing, food and medical care are the employer’s obligation on top of salary; the salary itself is untaxed.
From January 2026 the Wage Protection System is mandatory for all domestic workers - salaries must flow through monitored channels, not cash envelopes. Insist on it.
Recruitment costs are the employer’s: Saudi Arabia caps what Saudi families pay agencies to recruit from Kenya. A Kenyan agency charging you six figures is double-dipping on a cost the employer already paid.

The system: Musaned, training, medical

Musaned registers the employer’s identity, your contract and both agencies. Your agency should show you the Musaned contract - salary, rest, duties - before you fly, and you keep a copy.
Pre-departure training is mandatory: a certified homecare course under the NITA/NEA curriculum (the syllabus covers household skills, Arabic basics, culture and your contract rights). Course length has shifted between roughly two and four weeks as the curriculum has been reformed - your agency arranges an accredited centre.
The [Wafid medical](/guides/gulf-work-visa-process-kenya) at a designated clinic, booked at wafid.com for about USD 10.
Age: recruitment frameworks for Saudi domestic work set a minimum age (21 in the material agencies work from) - anyone offering to "adjust" your age is manufacturing a fraud you will carry.

Your rights - and the honest gaps

Saudi labour law largely excludes domestic workers, including from the 2021 kafala reforms that let other workers change jobs after a year. What protects you instead:

The Musaned contract - enforceable terms on salary, rest and duties, with a dispute channel through the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources (labour line 19911).
The bilateral agreement between Kenya and Saudi Arabia (renewed in July 2026) on wages, insurance and recruitment conduct.
Saudi domestic-worker regulations: daily rest, a weekly rest day, paid leave and end-of-service entitlements exist on paper; enforcement varies by household, which is why the registered contract and WPS payment trail matter.
The Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh and consulate services - register with them on arrival; keep their numbers and digital copies of your documents with family in Kenya.

Be clear-eyed: Kenya’s own Ombudsman investigated the plight of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia and found systemic problems, from underpayment to abuse. The system has improved - Musaned, WPS, the new agreement - but your strongest protections are a licensed agency, a registered contract you have read, and people at home holding your paper trail.

Before you sign: a checklist

Agency verified on the NEA register, and the Saudi-side office accredited on Musaned.
Contract seen, understood, and at or above SAR 900 - with your copy kept.
No recruitment fee paid by you beyond your own documents, medical and training.
Training certificate genuine (NITA-accredited centre, not a photocopy shop).
Certificate of Good Conduct obtained yourself via eCitizen - KES 1,050, no broker needed.
Embassy contacts saved; documents photographed and shared with family.

Frequently asked questions

How much do housemaids earn in Saudi Arabia?

The bilateral minimum is SAR 900 per month (about KES 31,000) with housing, food and medical care provided by the employer, and Saudi Arabia implements a SAR 1,000 general minimum from February 2026. Experienced workers and those with specialised duties negotiate above the floor.

How much does it cost to go to Saudi Arabia as a housemaid?

Close to nothing beyond your own documents: the Saudi employer pays recruitment costs under Musaned. You pay for your passport, Certificate of Good Conduct (KES 1,050), the Wafid medical booking (~USD 10) and exam, and the pre-departure training course.

What is Musaned and why does it matter?

Saudi Arabia’s official platform for hiring domestic workers: it registers the employer, the contract and both agencies, and is the channel for complaints. An offer outside Musaned has no registered employer and no enforceable contract - walk away.

Can I change employers in Saudi Arabia as a domestic worker?

Not freely - domestic workers are excluded from the 2021 job-mobility reforms. Transfers happen through Musaned processes and dispute rulings, which is why getting the right employer and contract before departure matters more than in any other job category.

What training do I need before going?

A certified pre-departure homecare course under the NITA/NEA curriculum - household skills, basic Arabic, culture and your contract rights. Your agency arranges an accredited centre; the certificate is checked before departure.