Saudi Kenya Domestic Worker Deal: New Annex to Cut Housemaid Recruitment Costs, Fee Pilot for 3 Months

Last updated: 13 November 2026

Saudi Arabia and Kenya signed a technical annex to their domestic worker agreement in Riyadh on 12 November 2026, aimed at cutting the cost of recruiting Kenyan housemaids and drivers and making the process simpler. Kenya says both sides also agreed a three-month pilot to review recruitment fees.

No new fee has been announced yet. And for now, new Kenyan workers still cannot travel to the Kingdom because of the Ebola entry measures in place since 30 October.

What the Saudi Kenya domestic worker deal changes

The annex adds detailed rules to the domestic worker recruitment agreement the two countries signed on 5 July 2026. It was signed by Saudi Vice Minister of Human Resources for Labour Abdullah Abuthnain and Kenya’s Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, according to the Saudi Press Agency report carried by Asharq Al-Awsat.

• Simpler recruitment procedures and lower recruitment costs from Kenya.
• Integrated electronic processes between the two sides.
• Clearer rules on the contract between employer and worker, and protection of both sides’ rights.
• Better pre-departure training so workers arrive ready for the job.

Separately, Kenya signed a letter of intent for a three-month pilot on recruitment fees “based on market cost competitiveness”, Mutua told Capital FM. The goal on Kenya’s side is to keep its workers competitive with other sending countries.

What the July 2026 agreement already covers

The new annex builds on a framework that is only four months old. On 5 July 2026 the two labour ministries signed the main domestic worker recruitment agreement in Riyadh, with the aim of making recruitment from Kenya efficient and lawful, protecting the rights of both employers and workers, and regulating the contract between them, Saudi Gazette reported.

The July deal set the principles. The November annex is the practical layer on top: how procedures run, how costs come down and how both governments share data. That is why it matters to families even though no price has changed yet.

How much does it cost to hire a Kenyan housemaid now

Neither ministry has published a new price. The last official cap for Kenya came in January 2024, when the Ministry of Human Resources cut the maximum recruitment cost from SAR 10,870 to SAR 9,000.

The pilot is meant to test fees for three months, but its start date and any new figure have not been given. Until the ministry publishes one, compare offers on Musaned and treat any agent quoting a “new low price” with caution.

Who is affected

• Saudi and expat families who hire domestic workers through Musaned, especially those already waiting for a Kenyan worker.
• Recruitment offices that bring workers from Kenya.
• Kenyan domestic workers already in the Kingdom or planning to come. Kenya says the talks also covered pay and working conditions.

Kenya’s government also says it has secured commitments for 293,600 jobs in Saudi Arabia and expects a separate skilled workers agreement within a month, The Star reported.

The Ebola travel ban still applies

This is the part that matters most right now. Since 30 October 2026, Saudi Arabia has suspended all visas for people arriving from Kenya and bars anyone who was in Kenya in the previous 21 days. No lifting has been announced.

So the new annex does not mean a Kenyan worker can fly in this month. Our guide to the Saudi Arabia Kenya travel ban explains the 21-day rule and what pending visas mean.

How hiring a Kenyan domestic worker works on Musaned

Once Kenya visas reopen, the route stays the same as for any other country. Everything runs through Musaned, the Ministry of Human Resources platform for household labour.

1. Log in to Musaned with your Absher or Nafath account and check your eligibility.
2. Choose a licensed recruitment office and the worker’s profession (housemaid, cook, nanny or house driver).
3. Sign the standard contract and pay the recruitment cost inside Musaned.
4. The visa is issued and the office arranges the worker’s travel.
5. After arrival, book the medical exam in Sehhaty, then complete the iqama.
6. Pay the monthly salary through Musaned. This has been compulsory for every household since 1 January 2026.

Keep every receipt and message from the office. If a dispute comes up later, the Musaned record is what the ministry looks at first.

Kenyan workers already in Saudi Arabia

If you are a Kenyan domestic worker with a valid iqama, your job and contract are not affected by the annex. The bigger risk is travel. Anyone who was in Kenya in the 21 days before arrival is barred, and officials have not said whether resident iqama holders are exempt.

In practice, that means postponing a holiday home until the measure is lifted. A family that needs a worker now can also take on a Kenyan worker who is already in the Kingdom through a Musaned transfer, which needs the current employer, the worker and the new employer to agree.

What employers should do now

1. Use only Musaned, the ministry’s official platform, for contracts and payments. Do not pay an agent outside it.
2. If you have a Kenyan worker contract in progress, ask the recruitment office in writing what happens to your fee while visas are suspended.
3. If you need help quickly, look at a local domestic worker transfer on Musaned instead of a new visa. It can take up to about 23 days.
4. Watch for the pilot fee. The ministry announces price caps on its own channels.

What has not changed

Domestic worker contracts, salary transfers and the Musaned rules stay the same. New workers still need their domestic worker medical exam and the usual iqama steps after arrival.

We will update this page when the ministry publishes the pilot fee or Saudi Arabia lifts the Kenya entry ban.