Dubai: Saudi Arabia has approved a key agreement with India aimed at protecting the rights of Indian domestic workers, including maids, in the Kingdom.
The agreement aims at organising the recruitment process and controlling the cost of recruitment in both countries, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The meeting was chaired by the country's Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defence.
"The agreement aims to protect the rights of domestic workers as well as their employers and regulate the contractual relationship between the two parties," Haj Minister and Acting Information Minister Bandar Hajjar said.
"It stipulates that such domestic labour shall have no criminal records, be trained in specialised centres in household works and educated on the Kingdom's customs and traditions as well as the terms and conditions of the employment contract," Hajjar said.
The Cabinet also approved new regulations for employees managing public funds. As per the new regulation, each ministry, public institution, public body or the like shall use electronic means to control inputs and outputs of funds.
There are provisions in the agreement to ban hiring of those who have had any criminal background.
There are 2.8 million Indian workers in Saudi Arabia and Indians form the largest expatriate community in the Kingdom.
Of the around 500,000 domestic workers, mostly working as maids, helpers, drivers and cleaners, around 10 per cent are women.
