Official online lookupHas not ratified ILO C181
Recruitment agency licensing in Saudi Arabia
Licensing authority: Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), which operates the Musaned platform for domestic worker recruitment.1,3
How to check an agency in Saudi Arabia
Registered users of the Musaned portal can review licensed recruitment offices and companies, send an application to up to three of them and compare their offers, according to HRSD. Gulf News reported in September 2026 that HRSD urged customers to use authorised channels including Musaned, where users can review licensed recruitment providers.1,3
Who needs a licence
Businesses that provide recruitment or labour services need a licence from HRSD, according to Gulf News and ARY News, which reported in September 2026 that the ministry fined 10 establishments for providing these services without the required licences.3,4
Licence conditions
Gulf News and ARY News reported fines for providing recruitment or labour services without a licence of 200,000 riyals for a first offence, 220,000 riyals for a second and 250,000 riyals for a third.3,4
ILO Private Employment Agencies Convention (C181)
Not ratified2
Checked 28 October 2026. This page describes the licensing system. It does not list or rate individual agencies.
Sources
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, MLSD unveils e-contract service to recruit domestic workers via Musaned portal (21 September 2022)
- Government of the Netherlands, Treaty Database, Convention concerning Private Employment Agencies, Geneva, 19-06-1997 (29 January 2026)
- Gulf News, Saudi Arabia fines 10 firms for providing unlicensed recruitment services (16 September 2026)
- ARY News, Saudi Arabia penalizes unauthorized labor recruitment agencies with fine of up to SR250,000 (16 September 2026)