Kenyan professionals seeking employment in Saudi Arabia could soon access more opportunities after Nairobi and Riyadh agreed to finalise a new skilled workers recruitment agreement within one month.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua announced the development following negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister for Labour, Dr Abdullah bin Nasser Abuthnain, in Riyadh on Thursday, November 12.
“Our technical teams will finalise the agreement within one month to open up more opportunities for skilled Kenyan professionals in the Saudi labour market,” Mutua said in a statement shared with Kenyans.co.ke.
The proposed agreement comes as Kenya seeks to expand its access to employment opportunities in the Gulf nation. Recruitment agencies in Saudi Arabia have already committed to providing 293,600 job opportunities for Kenyans across various sectors. According to Mutua, the vacancies cover healthcare, education, construction, hospitality, transport, manufacturing, finance and domestic work, among other industries.
During the latest discussions, Saudi Arabia also agreed to explore mechanisms for improving the remuneration packages offered to Kenyan workers to make them more competitive.
The negotiations also addressed concerns surrounding the welfare and treatment of Kenyans already employed in the Kingdom, following reports of poor working conditions and alleged exploitation. An Amnesty International report published in May 2025 documented cases of unpaid salaries, excessive working hours, physical abuse, restrictions on movement and employers confiscating workers’ passports.
Some women interviewed also reported paying recruitment-related fees ranging from KSh 7,000 to KSh 45,000, while one alleged that an agency threatened to charge her KSh 300,000 if she withdrew from the recruitment process after completing training.
Meanwhile, the two countries signed a technical annex to the domestic worker recruitment agreement reached in July. Mutua said the additional framework would simplify recruitment procedures, lower hiring costs and introduce improved technical processes while strengthening contractual protections.
“The annex provides for streamlined recruitment procedures, reduced recruitment costs and the adoption of integrated and advanced technical processes,” he stated.
“It also seeks to ensure that recruitment and employment are conducted in accordance with approved regulations, while safeguarding the rights of both employers and domestic workers.”
However, the latest discussions have not resulted in specific revised salary rates or a new minimum wage for Kenyan workers in Saudi Arabia.
