How to hire a domestic worker in Riyadh
A plain-language walkthrough of hiring a domestic worker in Riyadh through the official Musaned portal — the routes, documents, indicative costs, and how Ployer structures the workflow.
The short answer
Hiring a domestic worker in Riyadh runs through the official Musaned portal under Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD). Employers specify profession, nationality and gender, then use a licensed route — recruitment through an agency, custom contracting, the known worker (Maarofa) service, or transfer where eligible. Ployer structures the workflow; it does not replace Musaned or licensed channels.
The Riyadh hiring process at a glance
Define the role
Housekeeping, nanny, cook, driver or caregiver — with duties, hours, accommodation and salary expectations.
Choose a route on Musaned
Recruitment through a licensed agency, custom contracting, the known worker (Maarofa) service, or transfer where eligible.
Review candidates
Compare candidate CVs and available resumes on Musaned, or specify the known worker's passport and contact details.
Submit the request
Complete the selected digital service on Musaned — agency request, custom offer, Maarofa details or transfer.
Complete the required steps
Insurance, contract and payment steps as set out in the portal.
Track and onboard
Follow issuance status in Musaned and complete the worker's arrival and residence (Iqama) steps.
Who is this guide for?
This guide is for private households in Riyadh — Saudi families, expatriate residents and sponsors — who want to hire a domestic worker lawfully through the official Musaned portal. The same national workflow applies across Saudi Arabia; this guide adds the local considerations relevant to Riyadh, the largest domestic worker demand centre in the Kingdom.
- Families hiring a domestic worker for the first time
- Households replacing a departing worker
- Expatriate residents sponsoring a worker from abroad
- Employers comparing the agency, custom contracting and known worker routes
What does Ployer provide?
Ployer is the workflow layer around the official Musaned process. Employers describe the role once, compare candidate profiles, shortlist and interview, then follow a Saudi-specific checklist that keeps the route, documents and arrival steps on track.
- Structured role intake — housekeeping, nanny, cook, driver or caregiver
- Candidate profiles with skills, experience and language information
- Deterministic eligibility screening against your requirements
- Document vault with statuses for passport, contract and medical files
- Onboarding journey tracking from offer to work start
- WhatsApp connection so workers and sponsors can stay in touch
How does hiring work in Riyadh?
Hiring a domestic worker in Riyadh is a national process administered through the Musaned portal under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD). Whether the worker will live in Riyadh or elsewhere in the Kingdom, employers use the same portal and the same licensed channels.
- Confirm your eligibility to sponsor a domestic worker through Musaned.
- Choose your route: recruitment through a licensed agency, custom contracting, the known worker (Maarofa) service, or transfer where eligible.
- Specify profession, nationality and gender — or browse available resumes and select a candidate.
- Submit the request through the chosen digital service on Musaned.
- Complete the insurance, contract and payment steps set out in the portal.
- Track issuance in Musaned and complete the worker's arrival and residence steps.
What is different about hiring in Riyadh?
Riyadh is the largest domestic worker demand centre in Saudi Arabia, and many licensed recruitment offices and service providers operate in the city. What does not change is the legal route: employers in Riyadh use the same Musaned portal and licensed channels as anywhere in the Kingdom.
- Use the official Musaned portal — do not rely on unlicensed intermediaries
- Prefer licensed recruitment offices and verify their status before paying
- Plan for in-Kingdom residence (Iqama) registration steps after the worker arrives in Riyadh
- Put duties, salary, accommodation and leave in a written contract
- Budget for travel and arrival logistics into Riyadh as part of your planning
Which documents are required?
The exact document list depends on the route and the worker's source country, but the core set is consistent across Musaned routes.
| Document | Who provides it | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Passport (valid well beyond the contract period) | Worker | Identity and contract processing |
| Nationality and identity information | Worker | Route eligibility checks, especially the known worker (Maarofa) service |
| Domestic worker contract | Employer + worker | Terms, duties, salary, accommodation |
| Insurance arrangement | Employer | Completed through the Musaned steps |
| Recruitment office documents | Licensed recruitment office | Required for the agency and custom contracting routes |
| Passport photos | Worker | Contract and residence documents |
| Residence (Iqama) documents | Official authorities | Legal stay and work in Saudi Arabia |
Core Saudi domestic worker document set. Additional documents may apply depending on source-country and route requirements — confirm on Musaned.
How much can it cost?
Total cost splits into official government fees, insurance, travel, and any recruitment or service fees. Figures vary by route, nationality and recruitment office. All numbers here are indicative planning guidance only — confirm the current fee schedule on Musaned before starting.
- Official government fees — set by the authorities; confirm on Musaned
- Medical and insurance costs — vary by provider and required cover
- Travel and airfare — usually employer-funded; varies by source country
- Recruitment office or service fees — only through lawful, licensed channels
- Monthly salary — depends on role, experience and duties; agree it in the written contract
How long can it take?
A straightforward case can complete in a number of weeks from request to arrival, but timing varies widely by route, source country and document readiness. The figures below are indicative planning ranges only — processing times are not guaranteed.
| Stage | Indicative duration | Depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Request submission and review | A few days to a few weeks | Route, employer eligibility, document completeness |
| Insurance, contract and payment steps | A few days | Required steps for your selected route |
| Worker processing in the source country | Varies by country | Source-country requirements and licensing |
| Travel and arrival in Riyadh | A few days | Flight availability and logistics |
Indicative planning ranges as of September 2026. Confirm current service status and expectations on Musaned.
What should employers check?
- Confirm current Musaned route requirements and fees before starting
- Verify the worker's identity and documents before any payment
- Put duties, hours, salary, accommodation and leave in a written contract
- Keep the worker's passport handling transparent — do not retain it without consent
- Complete the insurance and contract steps only through the portal
- Record every document and its status in one place
- Use only licensed channels; avoid anyone promising visa or permit guarantees
What protections do workers receive?
Musaned exists so domestic workers are employed through recorded, accountable arrangements. Ployer supports this by keeping the employment route explicit: written terms, tracked documents, clear responsibilities, and a guided process on both sides.
- Written contract with clear duties and salary
- Recorded insurance, contract and payment steps through Musaned
- Employer accountability through the official portal workflow
- Clear communication channel between worker and sponsor (including WhatsApp)
What happens after selection?
Once a worker is selected and the official steps are complete, the relationship moves into management: arrival, onboarding, documents, leave, salary and any replacement needs. Ployer tracks this as an onboarding journey and supports replacement workflows if the arrangement does not last.
- Offer accepted → contract signed → passport collected
- Insurance and payment completed → issuance tracked in Musaned
- Arrival in Riyadh → residence steps → work started
- Replacement support if the worker leaves early
Document and route checklist
Tick off each item as it is completed. Keep this list with your application folder.
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Common questions
Hiring runs through the official Musaned portal under MHRSD. The known worker (Maarofa) route is the closest to a direct arrangement, and transfer covers eligible cases — but every route still goes through the portal and licensed channels. Confirm your eligibility on Musaned.
Musaned offers four digital routes: recruitment through a licensed agency, custom contracting, the known worker (Maarofa) service, and transfer of a domestic worker in eligible cases. Choose the route that fits your situation and confirm current availability on Musaned.
Core documents include the worker's passport, nationality and identity information, a signed employment contract, insurance completed through Musaned, and residence (Iqama) documents. Source-country and route requirements may add more.
Verification in the Ployer workflow means structured identity and document checks, with skills and experience visible on the profile and document statuses tracked in a vault. Final regulatory verification happens through the official Musaned process.
Yes. Ployer supports structured interviews before commitment so you can confirm duties, expectations and fit. On the agency route, contact and scheduling runs through the licensed recruitment office.
The agency and custom contracting routes involve licensed recruitment offices. The known worker (Maarofa) route covers selected nationalities and does not require sourcing through an office. Confirm the current requirements on Musaned.
Worker documents are stored privately in an account-level vault and are only accessible to authorised parties. Public profiles never expose passport or sensitive personal information.
No. Permits and decisions are issued through Musaned and the official authorities under their own rules. Ployer structures and tracks the workflow but never guarantees an official decision.
Related guides
Tell us who you need.
Describe the role once — Ployer structures the requirements, shows verified matches and tracks the Saudi Musaned workflow.