The Saudi Labor Law: Adequate Protection for Foreign Women Domestic Workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the Saudi Labor Law with reference to International Labor Organization

The Saudi Labor Law: Adequate Protection for Foreign Women Domestic Workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the Saudi Labor Law with reference to International Labor Organization

Introduction

The largest expatriate communities in Saudi Arabia include one million to 1.5 million people each from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, and another 900,000 each from Egypt, Sudan, Philippines and the most domestic workers from Indonesia. The wages that these and other migrant workers send home places Saudi Arabia second only to the United States as the source of the largest amount of remittance payments in the world.

As early as 1932, Saudi Arabia made efforts to promote Saudi workforce. The government has since termed this process as "Saudiization" of the labor force, in which hundreds of thousands of unemployed Saudis would replace foreign workers in the kingdom; however, "Saudiization" has yet to come to fruition. Attempts were not effectively enforced and today there are more than 9 million foreigners in the kingdom that making around 50 percent of the indigenous population. Foreign labor across all sectors and skills levels are estimated around two-thirds of the total workforce, or more shocking 95 percent of labor in the private sector. The wages that these and other migrant workers send home places Saudi Arabia second only to the United States as the source of the largest amount of remittance payments in the world.

It is a truth universally accepted that the modern labor force changing the face and structure of the economy. As it is known that the economy based on the employment rate, productivity gains and the output growth in which the modern labor is playing a vital role in building up the economy. Currently there are more than 10 million foreigners living and working in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Foreign labor dependence is a pressing concern being addressed by the states of the region. The presence of expatriates in the region represents a significant portion of these states population. Saudi Arabia is not only the largest state it also has the largest expatriate population and will have the most immediate impact on the region's demographics and economy.

While around 8.9 million men worldwide are employed by private households usually as gardeners, chauffeurs or security guards; however the domestic work remains a heavily female-dominated sector, accounting for 83 per cent of all domestic workers. Women outnumber men in virtually all countries and in every region of the world working domestically. Women's share among domestic workers is approximately 63 per cent in the Middle East. Women often face greater obstacles than men in finding paid employment and this makes domestic work a particularly important source of wage employment for women. However, while domestic work can create access for women into the labor market, the downside is that insufficient legal protection and poor working ...