By Dawan Reporter - Reporter
Saudi Arabia, 16 November 2025 - The Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh has announced that Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia will enjoy a minimum wage at SAR 1,000 (approximately KSh 34,455) per month like other expatriates in the country in non-exploitative work conditions.
The Embassy in Riyadh in a public advisory on Sunday, informed Kenyan workers in the Kingdom about a forthcoming Saudi Arabian government policy implementing this minimum salary for all workers, including expatriates, effective February 2026.
This is part of Saudi Arabia's broader labour reforms to the Kafala system, that was widely criticized as one which tied workers' visas, residency, and legal status to a single employer “kafeel”, creating power imbalances that enabled widespread abuses like passport confiscation, wage theft, forced overtime, and physical and sexual violence—issues acutely affecting Kenyan women in domestic work.
The new policy thus aims at standardising baseline pay across.
This update aims to address ongoing concerns over exploitative conditions for Kenyan migrants.
According to official Kenyan government estimates from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, as of mid-2025, there are over 200,000 Kenyans residing and working in Saudi Arabia under regular migration status, with the majority (more than 150,000) employed as domestic workers, alongside smaller numbers in sectors like healthcare, construction, hospitality, and security.
The policy will safeguard Kenyan interests.
"The Embassy wishes to inform all Kenyan workers that, effective February 2026, the Government of Saudi Arabia will implement a minimum salary of SAR 1,000 per month for all workers. This is in line with ongoing labour reforms following changes to the Kafala system," the statement read.
Under the current policy, Saudi Arabia's minimum wage largely depends on the worker's nationality, with Saudi nationals in the private sector enjoying a minimum wage of SAR 4000 (around KSh138,000).
Under bilateral-pacts, Kenyan domestic workers enjoyed SAR 1,160 (KSh 40,000 plus allowances).
But lack of employee freedom and liberties saw many suffer, as they were exploited.
