No off days, 14-hour workdays and confiscated passports
October 20, 2020
Domestic workers in Qatar share harrowing tales with Amnesty International
Domestic Work
Trending Issues
Country-specific labour and domestic workers rights
Latest articles
Driven to despair: Male domestic workers in Saudi
July 22, 2020
End-of-service Gratuity for Domestic Workers in the GCC
March 22, 2020
Domestic workers in every GCC country except for Oman are owed end-of-service benefits at the conclusion of their work contract. This short brief compares the entitlements throughout the region.
Challenging the monopoly of live-in domestic work
September 28, 2019
The predominant model of employment in the region is the live-in arrangement, where millions of workers are subject to the stranglehold of an individual employer and their household. What are the viable alternatives to this prevalent model?
Paradox of empowerment: The high costs of economic freedom
March 4, 2019
The following observations are from conversations on migration with migrants and their families in Uganda. The nature of these conversations are not exclusive to Uganda but echo similar experiences of other labour-sending countries across Africa and Asia.
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.