Saudi Arabia Enforces Digital Salary Payments for Domestic Workers

Saudi Arabia has announced that salaries of all domestic workers will be paid through banks starting January 1, 2026, as part of efforts to protect workers’ rights and regulate wage payments.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the decision forms part of a phased implementation of a wage protection system aimed at ensuring transparency and timely salary payments.

The first phase, launched in July 2024, applied to domestic workers entering the Kingdom for the first time on new visas, requiring sponsors to pay salaries through bank accounts.

In the second phase, the regulation extended to sponsors employing more than four domestic workers. The third phase, initially scheduled for July 2025 and launched in October 2025, included sponsors with two or more domestic workers.

The final phase, effective January 1, 2026, will cover all categories of domestic workers, making bank-based salary payments mandatory across the Kingdom.

Officials stated that the system aims to safeguard the rights of both workers and sponsors, prevent wage disputes, and ensure timely and documented salary disbursements.

The ministry emphasised that the initiative strengthens labour protection mechanisms and supports fair employment practices in Saudi Arabia’s domestic labour sector.