RIYADH: A service that allows the transfer of domestic laborers between employers via a government portal has been launched by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
The service is available through the Musaned platform, and is part of the ministry’s efforts to develop the domestic labor sector in the Kingdom, improve recruitment, safeguard workers’ rights, regulate contractual relationships, and ensure effective oversight.
The employer will be responsible for the cost of the transfer, the ministry said.
Individual citizens will be able to transfer domestic laborers from one employer to another through the portal, using simple and convenient electronic steps. The process follows the regulations, rules and conditions set for recruitment.
All parties involved in the contractual relationship, the initial employer, the domestic worker and the new employer, must agree with the transfer in order to finalize it.
Payment will be made through secure electronic channels on the platform, in accordance with prices set by the ministry.
The rights of both the employer and the domestic worker will be protected in the process of transfer, the ministry said.
A contract specifying the duration of employment will be issued, with clauses safeguarding the rights of both parties.
The contract will have to be approved by both parties.
Osama Ghanem Al-Obaidy, adviser and professor of law at the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh, welcomed the initiative, saying it will improve recruitment of domestic workers in the Kingdom, and help to resolve complaints and grievances.
The Musaned platform is one of the ministry’s initiatives to improve recruitment of domestic help in the Kingdom.
In November 2022, the platform launched the second phase of a service documenting contracts of domestic workers in the Kingdom.
The first phase of the service was launched outside Saudi Arabia and was aimed at domestic workers coming to work in the Kingdom.
The second phase of the service included private employment contracts for domestic workers who do not have valid and documented employment contracts through the Musaned platform.
Saudi Arabia launches portal for transfer of domestic laborers
https://arab.news/gj7xf
Saudi Arabia launches portal for transfer of domestic laborers
- The service is available through the Musaned platform
- The employer will be responsible for the cost of the transfer, the ministry said
Municipalities Ministry launches home delivery permit service, effective July 1
- Municipalities will carry out field inspections to ensure compliance and will take regulatory action against violators
RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Municipalities and Housing launched the Home Delivery Permit service for food and non-food delivery establishments via the Balady platform, Saudi Press Agency reported Tuesday.
This initiative supports ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of life and elevate safety and compliance standards within the delivery sector across the Kingdom.
The delivery service aims to regulate delivery operations within cities by ensuring establishments comply with health and technical requirements, thereby contributing to a safe and efficient environment that enhances consumer confidence.
The requirements for the permit include obtaining a health certificate for all home delivery service workers, securing approval from the authority supervising the commercial activity, clearly displaying the establishment’s name or trademark on delivery vehicles, and ensuring these vehicles comply with the technical and health standards necessary for safe product transportation.
The ministry explained that mandatory enforcement of license issuance will begin on July 1, 2025.
Municipalities will carry out field inspections to ensure compliance and will take regulatory action against violators.
Business owners can apply for the home delivery permit through the Balady platform by visiting: https://balady.gov.sa/en/services/issue-home-delivery-permit.
This initiative is part of the ministry’s broader efforts to develop the regulatory framework for the services sector and to ensure the provision of safe delivery services, in line with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030.
Last month, the ministry announced the launch of the Balady Plus app — an intelligent platform aimed at enhancing quality of life in Saudi cities and facilitating daily mobility for residents and visitors.
According to the ministry, Balady Plus was developed by national talents to be more than just a navigation tool. It offers an interactive 3D map experience with precise local content that reflects the real landscape of Saudi cities and adapts to their changes in real time.
The application features smart mobility services, including live updates on roads, locations, and services. It also supports indoor navigation in commercial centers, alerts users about speed bumps, obstacles, and road closures, and integrates data from government entities and the local community.
20 years after embracing Islam, Uruguayan Muslim fulfills his Hajj dream in Makkah
MAKKAH: Luis Abi Rachid, a 70-year-old pilgrim from Uruguay and a guest of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Hajj and Umrah, shared the story of his first-ever flight, which he took this year to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj.
After being selected for the program, supervised and implemented by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Rachid described the journey as one filled with peace and spiritual fulfillment, marking the realization of his lifelong wish to perform the fifth pillar of Islam.
“I arrived in the holy land with indescribable feelings,” he said. “I was on my way to perform Umrah and see the Holy Kaaba for the first time in my life, after only seeing it on television. My heart overflowed with longing for this sacred place.
“Hajj is a dream, especially for new Muslims,” Rachid continued.
“When I was selected for the program, I felt a joy beyond words. All praise is due to Allah Almighty, and then to the leadership of Saudi Arabia for turning my dream — and the dreams of many Muslims around the world — into reality.”
Rachid recounted that his journey to Islam began 20 years ago, when a Muslim friend introduced him to the faith over the course of three months.
During that time, he learned about the Holy Qur’an and the practice of prayer, eventually becoming convinced that Islam is the true religion. Since embracing Islam, he has deepened his faith and understanding and has long dreamed of performing Hajj and visiting the Holy Kaaba.
“I declared my Islam without ever expecting that I would embrace the faith, as I had never considered it,” Rachid said.
“But Allah Almighty guided me and brought me from darkness into spiritual clarity. I felt a peace and inner security I had never known. Islam is a religion of balance, moderation, and tranquility — free from excess, extremism, or rigidity. All praise be to Allah Almighty for guiding me and making me one of the Muslims.”
He expressed his gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their efforts in serving Islam and Muslims and prayed for Saudi Arabia’s continued growth, progress, and prosperity.
New environmental monitoring technologies used for this year’s Hajj
- High-tech monitoring systems analyze air, water and soil quality
- Satellites allow center to dispatch emergency teams rapidly
Jeddah: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Environmental Compliance has begun using new satellite monitoring technologies to protect the environment for this year’s Hajj.
The NCEC uses satellite data to monitor and analyze environmental media, including air, water and soil quality.
The center relies on satellites to monitor environmental challenges across wide geographic areas at high speed, enabling emergency teams to quickly reach affected sites.
Hani Al-Subhi, director-general of the Makkah Region branch, spoke to Arab News about the center’s use of satellite technology.
“These technologies help pinpoint the precise locations of environmental challenges, facilitating a rapid response and enhancing the provision of a healthy, pollutant-free environment for pilgrims,” he said
Meanwhile, Abu Talib Zaki, a technical expert in monitoring, spoke about how the center cooperates with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology to collect two types of satellite imagery.
The first is passive remote sensing, which measures reflections of light emitted from other objects.
The second is active remote sensing, which uses light from the satellite itself to create images.
The spatial resolution of the images used reaches 30 cm, meaning that each pixel of the image covers 30x30 cm, allowing for high-precision monitoring of environmental phenomena.
The National Center for Environmental Compliance earlier this week completed 90 percent of the preemptive inspections to ensure the safety of water, air, and soil for Hajj.
Monitoring efforts will continue until pilgrims complete their rituals in a healthy, pollutant-free environment.
The center also uses nine air quality monitoring stations — six located in Makkah and the holy sites and three in Madinah.
These stations operate around the clock to measure air quality, and if any pollutant is detected, field teams are dispatched immediately to the site to identify the source and coordinate with the authorities to eliminate the cause of pollution.
Saudi leaders congratulate Karol Nawrocki on winning Poland’s presidential elections
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman each sent a cable of congratulations to Karol Nawrocki after winning Poland’s presidential elections on Monday.
The King and Crown Prince wished the president success in his duties and the Polish people further progress and prosperity, the Saudi Press Agency said.
Nawrocki won 50.89% of votes in a very tight race against Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%.
Drones delivering Hajj medicine years in the making, health minister tells Arab News
- Delivery cut from 90 to 6 minutes, says Fahad AlJalajel
- Drones will operate in Mina, Muzdalifah, Mount Arafat
MAKKAH: A new service transporting medicine with drones during Hajj is a result of two years of intensive studies and experiments, Saudi Arabia’s Health Minister Fahad AlJalajel told Arab News on Monday.
“This modern technology aims to deliver medicines on a large scale during the Hajj season while reducing the time required to deliver medical supplies to just six minutes, compared to 90 minutes using ground transportation,” AlJalajel said.
The service will bypass congestion at the holy sites, where nearly 1.25 million pilgrims will gather during the Hajj, a key pillar of Islam, which runs from June 4 to 9.
AlJalajel said trials over the past two years tested for safe takeoff and landing, as well as high temperatures. The drones are equipped with cooling systems, he said.
The drone initiative is a part of the comprehensive healthcare transformation taking place in the Kingdom, under the Saudi Vision 2030 program.
“One of the most notable achievements of this transformation is the establishment of the Seha Virtual Hospital, the largest in the world according to the Guinness World Records,” said AlJalajel.
The virtual hospital, which is linked to the Kingdom’s Sehaty health app, serves more than 200 hospitals, and is accessible to all individuals in Saudi Arabia.
“The Kingdom is applying advanced technologies in the fields of robotic surgery, stroke management, and the use of artificial intelligence in health services, reflecting the serious trend towards digitizing the health sector,” AlJalajel said.
These experiences, the minister said, have become a source of inspiration and learning for many countries around the world.
The Health Ministry would continue to anticipate global challenges and provide pioneering and appropriate solutions, AlJalajel said.
