Critical protection gaps remain in UAE’s new domestic worker law
December 14, 2022
Ambiguous phrasing and undefined terms continue to put power into the hands of employers
Domestic Work
Trending Issues
Country-specific labour and domestic workers rights
Latest articles
“If my husband touches you I will kill you”
August 12, 2022
Rape, abuse, neglect, and death threats: the lives of Kenyan women returning from Saudi
UAE: Optional inclusion of domestic workers in WPS lacks clarity
January 31, 2022
Qatar's extended probation period increases domestic workers' vulnerability
January 19, 2022
Plans to extend the probation period to nine months were announced last year, and the new regulations recently came into effect. But details remain unclear to domestic workers, who will be most affected by the changes.
Recruitment black market leaves domestic workers more vulnerable in Kuwait
December 27, 2021
Pandemic policies continues to impact the sector, with workers bearing the brunt.
UN draws attention to trafficking of Vietnamese women to Saudi
November 12, 2021
Job mobility in Qatar is still a mirage despite reforms; domestic workers most affected
October 5, 2021
A year after Qatar rolled out significant labour reforms, changing jobs remains a difficult process — and an expensive one, with employers demanding huge kickbacks from workers. The messaging on paper contradicts what workers are told on-site at the labour ministry. Women migrants, particularly domestic workers, are the worst affected by these ambiguities.
Latest In Brief
May 20, 2025
Saudi Arabia Announces 6-Month Amnesty Period for ‘Absconding’ Domestic Workers
The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has announced a six-month grace period, starting 11 May 2025, to regularise the status of domestic workers reported as absconding from work.
October 10, 2024
Saudi Arabia Requires Online Submission of Domestic Work Complaints
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development recently announced that starting from 3 October 2024, those wishing to file complaints related to domestic labour disputes must first submit their claims online through the ministry’s website.
July 23, 2024
Kuwait temporarily allows domestic worker transfser to private sector
The Public Authority for Manpower in Kuwait has recently announced that domestic workers will temporarily be able to transfer their sponsorship to private sector employers under certain conditions. This decision will be effective from 14 July 2024 until 12 September 2024.
June 26, 2024
Qatar’s Shura Council has suggested reintroducing exit permits for domestic workers,
Qatar’s Shura Council has suggested reintroducing exit permits for domestic workers, though it has rephrased the practice as ‘obtaining employer approval’ at least five days before departure.
April 17, 2024
Saudi Arabia revises its regulations for absconding domestic workers
Domestic workers in Saudi Arabia who are reported as absconding will soon have a two-month grace period to leave the country before their status becomes irregular. Workers with over two years of service will have the additional option to transfer sponsorship.