Thursday, October 12, 2023
Premium Residency holders can enjoy the benefits as Saudi citizens, in regard to Domestic Workers
The Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia decided on Tuesday that expats who have Premium Residency will have the same rights as Saudi citizens when it comes to paying the annual fee for domestic employees. Trending Video : Penalties on selling counterfeit gold in Saudi Arabia
The proposal to treat an expat who has a Premium Residency Permit (Premium Iqama) as a Saudi regarding the number of domestic workers, and allowing it to 4, without paying an additional annual charge was approved by the Cabinet.
- According to the Cabinet's resolution, holders of Premium Residency iqama need not to pay an additional 9,600 riyals annually for each additional domestic worker, after two until the limit of four. While expatriates with normal iqama and has more than 2 domestic workers, need to pay an additional amount of 9,600 riyals for each extra domestic worker.
- On March 8, 2022, the Council of Ministers in Saudi Arabia voted to levy domestic workers only in certain circumstances. Related Article : Limit of domestic workers allowed to Saudi citizens and expatriates
- Accordingly, if the Saudi citizens have more than four domestic workers, Saudi employers must pay a yearly charge of 9,600 riyals for each worker, while foreign employers must pay the same amount for every additional worker after two domestic workers. Now the premium residency iqama holders can also avail the benefit of 4 domestic workers without pay.
- This law was being implemented by the Saudi government in two phases. Only new house workers hired in the first year following the Cabinet decision are covered by the first phase, which went into effect on May 22, 2022.
- With effect from May 11, 2023, the second phase is applicable to all domestic workers, both new and old, who has more domestic workers than permitted. See Also : Benefits of Premium residency iqama of Saudi Arabia
- In another decision, the Saudi Cabinet on Tuesday gave its preliminary approval to the use of trains as one of the authorized modes of transportation for the transportation of civilian and military personnel when doing so is legally required.
