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Wed, Jan 21, 2026 | Shaban 2, 1447 | Fajr 05:45 | DXB 
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Saudi Arabia: Mandatory e-salary payments for domestic workers starting January 1
Under the policy, salaries will be processed electronically through the Musaned platform, using authorised channels such as digital wallets and participating banks
Employers in Saudi Arabia will be required to pay the salaries of all domestic workers exclusively through approved official channels starting January 1, 2026, the Kingdom's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced.
Under the policy, salary payments will be processed electronically through the Musaned platform, using authorised channels such as digital wallets and participating banks. The system is designed to ensure reliable and secure wage transfers, reduce disputes, simplify procedures for both parties, and support the overall development of the domestic worker sector.
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The move is aimed at strengthening protections for domestic workers’ wage rights while improving transparency in employment contracts between workers and employers, Saudi Gazette reported.
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Why must salaries be paid through official channels?
Paying salaries through official channels offers multiple benefits. It allows domestic workers to verify salary payments, facilitates employment-related procedures when a contract ends or when workers travel, and ensures wages are paid on time and in full. The system also enables workers to safely and easily transfer money to their families abroad using the same approved channels.
Policy rolled out in phases
The rollout of the policy began in phases. The first phase, launched on July 1, 2024, applied to domestic workers entering Saudi Arabia for the first time. This step focused on reducing cash payments, improving working conditions, and increasing the speed and reliability of salary transfers.
The second phase took effect in January 2025 and covered employers with four or more domestic workers. In July 2025, the third phase expanded the requirement to employers with at least three domestic workers. The fourth phase, targeting employers with two or more domestic workers, came into effect on October 1.
According to guidelines issued through the Musaned platform and overseen by the ministry, employers must pay the salary agreed upon in the employment contract. Wages are to be paid at the end of each Hijri month unless both parties agree in writing to a different arrangement, in line with wage protection regulations.
Musaned clarified that domestic workers who wish to withdraw their salaries in cash may do so through approved channels, with a Mada card issued to facilitate withdrawals.
The ministry also noted that salary transfers must be made through approved channels for workers covered by the Wage Protection System. For those not included under the system, wages and entitlements may be paid in cash or by cheque with written documentation, or through a salary card, unless the worker requests payment to a specific bank account.
Elizabeth Gonzales
Elizabeth Gonzales is a Digital Journalist who loves writing about the expat life — and ways to make the most of it. When she's not looking for new hacks to share with readers, you may find her giving them a real laugh at one of her stand-up comic events.
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