Domestic workers and employers in the Arab States: Promising practices and innovative models for a productive working relationship

This White Paper presents promising practices and innovative models to ensure a productive working relationship for both domestic workers and employers in the Arab States.

The domestic work sector in the Middle East is constantly evolving. No longer are domestic workers employed only to clean homes – modern households are increasingly expecting domestic workers to support the care of children during critical stages of development, aid the elderly to live with increased autonomy, and assist in chores and household management.

Important progress has been made over the last few years by a number of countries in the Middle East towards legislative change to protect migrant workers. Yet implementation and enforcement remain major challenges, and continuing and credible allegations of abuse and fraudulent behavior continue to plague the sector.

This paper presents a number of interesting practices from countries such as Singapore, Jordan, Canada, Ireland, Saudi Arabia and others which could be a useful tool for policymakers in developing strong regulations and enforcement mechanisms to achieve justice and employment satisfaction for both workers and their employers.