JEDDAH: Five percent of 160 marriages of Saudi men to foreign women in 2013 and 2014 were to domestic workers, says a Ministry of Justice survey.
The Civil Status Court in Jeddah witnesses the signing of a marriage contract between a domestic worker and her sponsor after the man obtains permission from the relevant bodies that allows him to marry the foreigner and the domestic worker gets authorization from her family to facilitate the marriage procedures, said sources.
The survey said of the 160 marriages, 90 were with Moroccan women, 30 with Indonesian women, 13 with Filipinas, 22 with Sri Lankan women and five with Tunisian women.
Ahmad Al-Mabi, member of the ministry’s governance committee, said marriage procedures are similar to those followed for marrying Saudi women: The man has to apply to the governorate, which in turn refers the application to the Interior Ministry; after the approval, it is sent to the Civil Status court, which oversees the signing of the contract.
He said domestics need authorization from their guardians through their consulates/embassies.
He said Saudis marry maids either because the wife is ill or neglects her husband, or because many women leave the running of the house to the maid, which gives them the chance to get closer to their sponsors.
Psychologist Hani Al-Ghamidi said when a man marries his domestic worker, people criticize him and the community rejects the idea, but if one looks at the situation from a humane point of view, a man marrying such a woman is perfectly normal.
He added that working women might not look after their husbands the way they should, while domestic workers who are always there, attract the attention of the men, which leads to such marriages.
Al-Ghamidi confirmed that there are many stories of illegal relations between domestics and sponsors, but there are no clear figures.
5% of foreign women who married Saudis are maids
5% of foreign women who married Saudis are maids
Saudi Cabinet welcomes ceasefire between Syrian government and SDF, condemns Gaza ceasefire violations
- Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossari said ministers welcomed cooperation between the Syrian government and the SDF, supported by Saudi Arabia and the US
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, on Tuesday welcomed a ceasefire between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, reiterated the Kingdom’s support for resolving regional and international disputes through dialogue, and condemned Israeli violations of the Gaza ceasefire.
The Cabinet said the breaches in the Palestinian territory undermine efforts to stabilize the truce and advance the second phase of the peace plan, stressing the need for a just and lasting settlement that enables Palestinians to establish an independent state.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossari said ministers welcomed cooperation between the Syrian government and the SDF, supported by Saudi Arabia and the US, which led to a ceasefire agreement aimed at promoting peace, stability and national unity in Syria.
The Cabinet reviewed outcomes from several major international events hosted by the Kingdom, including the second Ministerial Council meeting of the Green Middle East Initiative, which expanded membership to 35 countries and reaffirmed commitments to plant more than 22 billion trees and rehabilitate 92 million hectares of land, SPA added.
Ministers also praised the International Conference on Building Capabilities in Data and AI in Riyadh, which saw the launch of multiple initiatives and the signing of 27 agreements to strengthen academic partnerships and advance the Kingdom’s national artificial intelligence strategy.
They commended the fifth Future Real Estate Forum, which resulted in 80 agreements and memoranda of understanding, as well as the Saudi Media Forum, highlighting Riyadh’s growing role as a global hub for innovation, digital transformation and content creation.
The Cabinet reviewed progress across government sectors, welcoming the launch of the National Privatization Strategy as a key step toward diversifying the economy, strengthening private sector participation, and improving infrastructure and public services. It also noted new development projects in the industrial cities of Makkah and Jeddah aimed at boosting local manufacturing and economic growth.
Among a series of decisions, the Cabinet approved cooperation agreements and MoUs with Cyprus, Finland, Brazil, Uzbekistan, South Korea and Mexico, alongside partnerships with Harvard University and the League of Arab States.
Ministers also approved Saudi Arabia’s National Policy for the Arabic Language, endorsed the Equestrian Authority’s membership in the International Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders, and adopted Gulf Cooperation Council framework legislation on combating narcotics and responding to hazardous materials incidents.
The Cabinet further approved the state’s final accounts for the previous fiscal year, renewed and appointed members to the General Authority for Real Estate board, and authorized several senior promotions across government departments, including ambassadorial and minister plenipotentiary roles at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
