Kenya and Saudi Arabia are in talks to finalise a new recruitment agreement for skilled workers within one month, opening up more employment opportunities for Kenyan professionals seeking jobs in the Gulf nation.
According to Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, the agreement was discussed during 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 share of Saudi Arabia's labour market, with recruitment agencies in the Kingdom committing to provide 293,600 job opportunities for Kenyans across different sectors.
According to the CS, the opportunities cover healthcare, education, construction, hospitality, transport, manufacturing, finance and domestic work, among other sectors.
As part of Thursday’s negotiations, Riyadh agreed to start looking for a mechanism to improve pay packages for Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia and make them more competitive.
During the negotiations, the CS raised concerns over the treatment, welfare and general working conditions of Kenyans already employed in Saudia after several damning exposés.
An Amnesty International report published in May 2025 documented cases involving unpaid wages, excessive working hours, physical abuse…
