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You open the available workers page and find several nationalities in front of you: Filipino, Ethiopian, Kenyan, Bangladeshi, Ugandan… each with a different price, different languages, and different skills. That is where the real question begins: how do you compare available nationalities for recruitment fairly, instead of relying on hearsay or one relative's experience?
The truth is that comparing available nationalities for recruitment is not about which nationality is "best" in absolute terms. It is about which one is the right fit for your home: your children's needs, the language spoken in your household, your budget, and the tasks you expect the worker to handle. In this guide, we give you six clear comparison criteria, then walk through the top nationalities for recruitment in Saudi Arabia with a quick comparison table, so you can make a well-considered decision.
A domestic worker will live with you for at least two years, interact with your children and elderly family members, and manage a large part of your day. Choosing a nationality directly affects three things:
Ease of daily communication: small misunderstandings in simple instructions can turn into tension at home over time.
How well skills match your needs: someone looking for infant care has different priorities from someone who needs an elderly companion.
Total cost: the official recruitment cost cap differs by nationality, sometimes by several thousand riyals.
The most common mistake is picking a nationality first and then searching for a worker who fits it. The right approach is to define your needs first, then compare nationalities against them.
Before you look at any nationality, write down your household's needs, then rate each option on the following criteria:
Ask yourself: which language will your family use with the worker? Some profiles show Arabic, others English, and some both. If your children attend international schools, English may be an advantage; if an elderly family member speaks only Arabic, Arabic comes first. Most importantly, check the language in the worker's own profile, not in general impressions of her nationality.
Define the core tasks: cleaning, cooking, ironing and laundry, babysitting, infant care, elderly care, or escorting. Then use the experience filter to see which nationalities have profiles with the skills you actually need, distinguishing between workers who have worked before and first-timers.
Official authorities set a maximum recruitment cost cap for each nationality, excluding VAT. Knowing this cap protects you from any offer that exceeds it and helps you set a realistic budget. Remember, though, that the total cost also includes the monthly salary throughout the contract.
You may prefer a certain nationality, but the number of available profiles may be limited right now. The more profiles available, the better your chances of finding a worker who matches your requirements for age, experience, language, and city of arrival.
Not every profile is available in installments. If installments are a deciding factor, use the "installment availability" filter to see which nationalities currently have eligible profiles, keeping in mind that approval and terms are subject to the financing entity.
Recruitment typically takes up to around 90 days from paying the cost and signing the contract, per official systems, and may vary by nationality and office. Also ask the office about the probation period, replacement policy, and support after arrival.
Below are the top nationalities for recruitment that appear on specialized platforms, along with what worker profiles reveal about languages and skills. The figures shown are the officially announced recruitment cost caps, excluding VAT, and are subject to updates by official authorities.
Filipino worker profiles show a wide range of skills including elderly care, infant care, cooking, and escorting, with profiles listing Arabic or English. The official recruitment cap is SAR 14,700, the highest among the main nationalities. Browse available Filipino domestic worker profiles or licensed Philippines recruitment offices.
Read also: How to choose the right Philippines recruitment office.
One of the most widely available nationalities by number of profiles, covering cleaning, cooking, ironing, sewing, infant care, and escorting, with many profiles listing Arabic. The official cap is SAR 5,900, the lowest among the main nationalities, and installment-eligible profiles are available. Browse available Ethiopian domestic worker profiles or Ethiopian workers available in installments.
Read also: Advantages of recruiting domestic workers from Ethiopia.
Kenyan profiles combine English with Arabic in some cases, with skills in elderly care, cooking, children's education, and infant care. The official cap is SAR 9,000, and installment-eligible profiles are available. Browse available Kenyan domestic worker profiles or Kenyan workers available in installments.
Read also: Why families are turning to Kenyan domestic workers.
Bangladeshi profiles list Arabic or English, with skills in elderly care, cooking, infant care, and babysitting. The official cap is SAR 11,750, and installment-eligible profiles are available. Browse available Bangladeshi domestic worker profiles or Bangladeshi workers available in installments.
Read also: Recruiting domestic workers from Bangladesh in installments.
English dominates Ugandan profiles, with skills in cleaning, ironing, laundry, babysitting, and escorting, and most profiles belong to younger age groups. The official cap is SAR 8,300. Browse available Ugandan domestic worker profiles.
Read also: How to choose a Ugandan domestic worker.
A newer and less common option. Some profiles list Arabic or English, with skills in cooking, children's education, and babysitting. The official cap is SAR 7,500, but the number of available profiles is currently limited. Browse available Burundian domestic worker profiles.
Pakistani profiles are currently available in very limited numbers, with core skills in cleaning and ironing. The cost depends on the office's offer, so compare offers carefully before deciding. Browse available Pakistani domestic worker profiles.
Read also: Guide to hiring Pakistani domestic workers.
|
Nationality |
Official cap* |
Languages in profiles |
Notable skills |
Installment profiles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Philippines |
SAR 14,700 |
Arabic / English |
Elderly, infant, cooking |
Per offer |
|
Ethiopia |
SAR 5,900 |
Arabic |
Cleaning, cooking, sewing |
Available |
|
Kenya |
SAR 9,000 |
English / Arabic |
Elderly, kids' education |
Available |
|
Bangladesh |
SAR 11,750 |
Arabic / English |
Elderly, infant, cooking |
Available |
|
Uganda |
SAR 8,300 |
English |
Babysitting, escorting |
Per offer |
|
Burundi |
SAR 7,500 |
Arabic / English |
Cooking, kids' education |
Per offer |
|
Pakistan |
Per office offer |
Per profile |
Cleaning, ironing |
Per offer |
* The maximum recruitment cost cap announced by official authorities, excluding VAT, and subject to updates. Languages and skills are taken from listed profiles and vary from worker to worker; installment availability changes with the profiles on offer.
Even within the same nationality, offers can vary from one office to another because of:
The nationality's official cap: the maximum an office is not allowed to exceed.
The worker's experience: an experienced worker's offer may differ from a first-timer's.
Included services: probation period, replacement, and follow-up after arrival.
VAT: added on top of the announced cap.
Monthly salary: varies by nationality and experience, and is an ongoing cost to include in your budget.
Frankly, many families start with a specific nationality in mind, then discover that few profiles are available, or that the languages listed don't suit the household. That isn't a failed search; it's the reality of a changing market.
The practical fix: make your needs the criterion, not the nationality. If you need an Arabic-speaking worker to care for your mother, filter by Arabic and elderly care first, then see which nationalities show up. You will often discover options you hadn't considered, sometimes at a lower cost.
For the same nationality, you may find clear differences between offices in price, services, and timeline. For example, licensed offices offering Filipino workers include Hudud Alafkar Recruitment Office, Han Alawan Recruitment Company, Smart Resources Recruitment Office, Alnajlayn Recruitment Office, Qawafel Al-Awtan (Homeland Convoys) Recruitment Office, and Almersah Recruitment Company, each with its own offers and terms. Comparing at least three offers gives you a clearer picture before you sign.
Define your three most important needs before you start searching.
Use filters (language, experience, age, city of arrival) instead of browsing every profile.
Narrow your final comparison down to two or three nationalities.
Build a simple table: price, language, experience, timeline, after-contract services.
Read the full profile before booking, not just the photo and price.
Now that you know the comparison criteria, it's time for the tool. Ayady is a Saudi digital platform that brings together licensed recruitment offices in one place and helps you compare worker profiles across nationalities using filters for nationality, language, experience, age, marital status, city of arrival, and installment availability. Instead of moving between offices, it gives you a clearer view of available options and prices on one screen, and you can track your request from your personal dashboard.
"Ayady operates as a technical and marketing intermediary, not a recruitment office or a financing entity. Recruitment services are provided through licensed service providers, while financing approval, terms, and decisions remain subject to the relevant financing entity."
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💳 A flexible option for your budget: View domestic workers available for recruitment in installments |
If cost is holding you back from choosing the right nationality, Ayady provides access to recruitment installment options through licensed financing companies, with terms of up to 24 months and often no down payment. Installment-eligible profiles currently appear from nationalities such as Ethiopia, Kenya, and Bangladesh, and this may change depending on available profiles.
Important: financing approval, duration, and terms are entirely subject to the decision of the relevant financing entity, not Ayady.
Judging a nationality by general reputation instead of reading the worker's own profile.
Focusing only on price and ignoring language and experience.
Not checking the official cap and accepting an offer that exceeds it.
Overlooking the monthly salary when calculating the budget.
Signing with the first office without comparing offers and services.
If you have young children, look for infant care or babysitting experience in the profile.
For elderly family members, put language and elderly care ahead of any other criterion.
If your budget is limited, compare official caps and look for installment-eligible profiles.
Ask about the probation period and replacement policy before signing.
Save shortlisted profiles and compare them calmly before booking.
Leading available nationalities include the Philippines, Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh, and Uganda, plus Burundi and Pakistan in smaller numbers. You can compare all of their profiles on Ayady.
Compare on six criteria: language, skills, the official cost cap, actual availability, installment eligibility, and timeline and after-contract services. Ayady's filters make applying them easy.
Based on announced official caps, Ethiopia has the lowest cap among the main nationalities (SAR 5,900 excluding VAT), noting that caps are subject to updates.
Arabic appears in profiles from several nationalities, such as Ethiopia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Kenya. The best approach is to use the "Arabic" filter on Ayady and check each profile.
Elderly care experience appears in profiles from the Philippines, Kenya, and Bangladesh. Filter by "elderly care" on Ayady to see currently available profiles.
No. Installments are available for specific profiles. Eligible profiles currently appear from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Bangladesh, and financing approval and terms are subject to the relevant financing entity.
Typically up to around 90 days from paying the cost and signing the contract, per official systems, and it may vary by nationality and office.
Ayady brings together licensed recruitment offices, and recruitment services are provided through licensed service providers.
For more answers, visit the frequently asked questions about recruitment page.
Comparing available nationalities for recruitment starts with your home, not the nationality: define your needs, then rate each option on language, skills, cost, availability, installments, and after-contract services. Knowing the top nationalities for recruitment and their official caps gives you solid ground to negotiate and decide with confidence.
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✅ Ready to compare? Browse domestic workers from different nationalities, compare licensed recruitment offices, or start your journey on Ayady's recruitment offer comparison platform — and choose the nationality that fits your home with confidence. |
