Saudi, Indonesia end maid dispute: report

Saudi Arabia and Indonesia have agreed to end a two-year-old dispute that led to a decision by Jakarta to stop sending maids to the Gulf Kingdom, the region’s largest base for Asian domestic servants, a local daily has reported.

Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to visit Riyadh next week to sign an agreement ending the freeze on the recruitment of Indonesian maids, the Saudi Arabic language daily Okaz said, citing labour sources.

It said the two sides have reached a deal following tough negotiations over the past year on the proposed salary for the maids and other conditions set by Indonesia.

The paper said Kingdom has agreed to the proposal for a monthly salary of between SR1,200 and 1,500 but gave no other details of the agreement.

Indonesia halted sending its maids to Saudi Arabia in early 2011 after Riyadh turned down its demands for higher wages, weekly holidays, work hours and other terms.

Saudi Arabia is also negotiating a similar deal with the Philippines.

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