Uganda, Saudi Arabia sign domestic worker employment agreement

The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Betty Amongi  and the Saudi Arabian Minister of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) Ahmed Al-Rajhi have signed a new labor cooperation agreement for the employment of Ugandan domestic workers.

The agreement aims to regulate the contractual relationship between workers and employers. It provides for the creation of a sustainable mechanism to follow up on the execution of its provisions, and the effective involvement of all relevant stakeholders.

It was concluded after a series of discussions aimed at enhancing the continued labor cooperation between the two countries, in a framework that attains their common interests and preserves the rights of domestic workers and employers.

The signed agreement will foster a good working environment for Ugandans who have been working as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia.

Statistics from the ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development show that Saudi Arabia is the biggest labour externalization destination in the Middle East with over 150,000 Ugandans migrant workers. 

Uganda had suspended a bilateral labour export agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in December 2022, over complaints of alleged continued mistreatment and torture of Ugandan migrant workers