Musaned 2026, Saudi Domestic Worker Recruitment Guide
Complete guide to the Musaned platform for domestic worker recruitment: conditions, fees, source nationalities, the unified contract, and rights and obligations.
The Musaned platform transformed domestic worker recruitment in Saudi Arabia from a paper track through offices to a unified electronic system under Ministry of Human Resources supervision. This guide covers the conditions, fees, and rights as applied in 2026.
What Musaned Is and How It Works
Musaned is a platform under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, managing the full lifecycle of a domestic worker: from recruitment to contract to renewal to transfer to exit.
Musaned differs from Qiwa (which manages private-sector labor contracts). Musaned is dedicated exclusively to domestic labor in the types listed in the Saudi Domestic Labor Regulation.
Covered Domestic Worker Types
The Domestic Labor Regulation covers nine official specializations:
| Occupation | Description |
|---|---|
| Housemaid | General cleaning and household tasks |
| Cook | Preparing family meals |
| Nanny | Care of children under 6 |
| Private driver | Driving the family car |
| Patient companion | Care of the sick or elderly |
| Gardener | Garden care |
| House guard | Night-time home guarding |
| Private farmer | Cultivating private land (rare) |
| Private livestock herder | Raising private livestock |
Most requested: housemaid, private driver, nanny.
Employer (Sponsor) Conditions
The system requires several conditions in the sponsor:
- Age: 21 or older
- Fixed monthly income: at least 7,000 SAR (proven via bank statement or employer letter)
- Adequate housing: requirements vary by number of workers and housing type
- Nationality: Saudis without additional condition; residents must have at least two years of iqama history
- Record: no active violations recorded against a previous recruitment
Maximum domestic workers count: depends on family composition (3 for a single person, 4 for a small family, 6 for a large family), and may reach 8 for special cases (patients, people with disabilities).
Fees and Costs
Total cost breaks down into several items:
| Item | Approximate value |
|---|---|
| Musaned platform fee | 100 SAR |
| Recruitment office fee | 3,000–8,000 SAR (by nationality) |
| Medical exam in source country | Borne by source-country office |
| Airfare | 1,000–3,000 SAR by destination |
| Health insurance | Legally required, 700–1,200 SAR annually |
| Visa fees | 200 SAR |
| Approximate total | 12,000–25,000 SAR |
Most are paid via Musaned through SADAD, except the recruitment office fee paid directly to the office.
Musaned Recruitment Steps
Full electronic procedure:
- Register on Musaned with a Nafath account
- Eligibility check: the system automatically verifies your income, age, and record
- Choose occupation and nationality requested
- Choose recruitment office: from an approved list on Musaned
- Complete the contract: standard bilateral contract (electronically signed)
- Pay fees via SADAD
- Office follow-up: file passes medical exam, visa, then travel
- Arrival: typically 45–90 days from application date
Rights and Obligations — Standard Contract
The Saudi Domestic Labor Regulation mandates a standard contract between the sponsor and the worker, including:
Worker's Rights
- Monthly wage paid on time via bank transfer (Domestic Wage Protection System)
- Weekly rest day at least once
- Working hours not exceeding 10 hours per day with breaks
- Annual leave 30 days after two continuous years
- Return ticket at contract end
- Full healthcare at the sponsor's expense
- Work-accident insurance mandatory
Worker's Obligations
- Perform agreed work honestly and diligently
- Preserve the sponsor's property
- Adhere to appropriate conduct
- Not work for anyone other than the sponsor without official approval
Contract Termination Cases
- Natural end of contract term (1, 2, or 3 years)
- Mutual consent before end
- Grave breach by either party (per a statutory list)
- Worker transfer to another employer with current employer's approval
Domestic Wage Protection System
Since 2021, Saudi Arabia has extended the Wage Protection System to domestic workers:
- Wage transferred monthly to a bank account in the worker's name
- Regularity monitored via Musaned
- 3 consecutive months of delay opens transfer without sponsor consent
- Bank account opened for every worker via an approved bank before contract start
This protects the worker from illegal wage withholding and protects the sponsor from false non-payment claims.
Additional Questions
Can I recruit a driver without a car? Yes. The regulation does not require vehicle ownership, but the sponsor remains bound by wage and rights. Owning a car logically justifies recruiting a driver.
How do I recruit a specific worker I know personally? Via "Named Recruitment", enter the worker's data (name, nationality, passport number) in Musaned, coordinated with a recruitment office in their country. Fees are similar to regular recruitment.
What if a worker is dismissed for a legitimate reason after arrival? If you prove a statutory reason (theft, damage, inability to work), the recruitment office is obligated to refund part of the fees or replace the worker within a warranty period (usually 90 days from arrival) per the office contract.
Can a violating worker be deported automatically? No. Even workers who commit violations are not deported automatically, but via a formal complaint in Musaned, then transferred to the competent authorities to review and decide.
Official Sources
- Musaned platform, musaned.com.sa
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, hrsd.gov.sa
- Saudi Domestic Labor Regulation, Laws Portal
Read also: Kafala Transfer, Conditions and Solutions · Employee Rights Under Saudi Labor Law · Iqama Renewal
الأسئلة الشائعة
Musaned is a government platform under Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, specialized in recruiting and managing domestic-worker contracts (drivers, housemaids, nannies, cooks). Launched in 2015, it replaced the old paper track via recruitment offices.
Head of family aged 21+, monthly income at least 7,000 SAR, no active violations or pending recruitments, and adequate housing. The permitted number of workers depends on family size and housing type (apartment/villa).
Cost includes: Musaned platform fee (100 SAR), recruitment office fee (varies 3,000–8,000 SAR by nationality), airfare, medical exam in source country, and health/accident insurance. Total usually 12,000–25,000 SAR by nationality and office.
Most prominent: the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Bangladesh. Conditions vary between these countries (standard contract, minimum wage, guarantees). The list is officially updated by the Ministry.
No unified nationwide minimum, but bilateral agreements with each country set a floor. For example: Filipina workers 400 USD (~1,500 SAR), Indonesian workers 1,500 SAR. Wages are paid monthly via bank transfer to the worker's account.
Yes via 'Transfer Domestic Worker Service'. If the worker is already in Saudi Arabia under contract with another employer, they can be transferred to your service with their current employer's and their own consent, plus a transfer fee via Musaned.
Iqama, visa, and renewals at the employer's expense, monthly wage on time, weekly rest day, annual leave (30 days after two consecutive years), return ticket at contract end, healthcare, and accident insurance. Breach triggers accountability.
Part of the series: Health Services & Domestic Labour
Article 3 of 3Sehhaty and Mawid for appointments and health records, and Musaned for hiring domestic workers.
- 1.Sehhaty App 2026: Complete Guide — Appointments, Prescriptions, Health RecordPillar guide
- 2.Mawid App 2026: Booking Hospital and Primary-Care Appointments
- 3.Musaned 2026, Saudi Domestic Worker Recruitment Guide
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