Starting in 2026, Saudi Arabia will require domestic workers to receive their salaries electronically.

Riyadh: In a significant move to improve wage protection and transparency in the domestic labor sector, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has announced that, as of January 1, 2026, employers must only transfer the salaries of all domestic workers through official electronic channels.

The ruling seeks to improve transparency and clarity in the contractual ties between employers and employees while protecting domestic workers’ rights relating to their salaries. According to the policy, authorized channels like participating banks and digital wallets will be used to execute salary payments via the Musaned platform.

According to officials, the electronic salary transfer system is intended to decrease cash-based transactions, increase the security and dependability of wage transfers, and simplify administrative processes for both companies and employees.

Additionally, the program is anticipated to enhance service quality and promote the long-term growth of the domestic worker industry.

Verified salary payments, easier contract termination or travel procedures, and regular and prompt income disbursement are only a few advantages of the system. Through the same formal methods, domestic workers will also be able to safely transfer their earnings to their families overseas.

The policy’s implementation has been done in stages. With the intention of lowering cash transactions and enhancing working conditions, the first phase, which began on July 1, 2024, applied to domestic workers coming to Saudi Arabia for the first time.

companies with four or more domestic workers were covered by the second phase, which was implemented in January 2025. A third phase, which targeted companies with three or more workers, was implemented in July 2025. Employers with two or more domestic workers were covered by the fourth phase, which went into effect on October 1.

Employers are required to pay the remuneration specified in the employment contract, as per the framework created via the Musaned platform and supervised by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

Unless both parties agree in writing differently, wages must be paid at the conclusion of each Hijri month in accordance with pay protection legislation.

According to Musaned, domestic workers who want to take out their pay in cash can do so via authorized channels and receive a Mada card specifically for this reason. Authorities added that for employees covered by the Wage Protection System, salary transfers must be performed through proper channels.

Unless the employee requests a bank transfer, pay for workers outside of this group may be paid in cash, via check with documented verification, or via a salary card.