By Yousuf Al-Muhaimeed

Al-Jazirah

WHEN the holy month of Ramadan approaches every year, markets across the Kingdom become busy with men and women engaged in large-scale shopping day and night. They purchase everything ahead of the fasting month, not only foodstuffs but also furniture and other household items.

Families also look for maids to work for them throughout the holy month. As a result, the salaries of maids reach the peak in Ramadan. In view of the big demand for maids, a black market emerges with middlemen making huge amounts of money. Some housemaids demand as high as SR5,000 for working a single month.

It looks like members of Saudi families do not want to engage in any tedious household chores during the holy month, including cooking and cleaning because they want only to relax, sleep, eat and watch special Ramadan soaps on TV.

I don’t want to discuss the complex issue of employing housemaids. It has become one of the most complicated issues for the entire Middle East region. Nobody has so far succeeded in solving this issue, even to open chances for Saudis to recruit maids from other Gulf countries.

We do not compete with neighboring countries in the recruitment of maids, payment of their salaries, the recruitment period, its cost and conditions, and even preventing maids from running away from their employers with the support and connivance of the unscrupulous middlemen.

These are difficult problems whose solutions will not be easy. Many people do not want solution for this problem as they use it to realize their interests, exploiting the prevailing chaos.

I have often thought that the maids market is no different from the markets for other commodities and I am sorry for making this comparison. The maids market was created by some illicit traders where rates will go up and down depending on the demand and supply.

In Ramadan there is huge demand for maids and the supply will be static. This will encourage the "traders" to raise the prices, exploiting the situation.

This is a black market created by agents and it is run by the unemployed who are ready to sell any goods. They receive money before supplying the commodity. They will not give you any guarantee for the safety of house and protection of the valuables from theft and damage.

What will be the situation if Saudis decide to change their Ramadan habits and do the household chores by themselves and if they enjoy cooking food and cleaning the house?

What will be the result if Saudis find themselves capable of managing the affairs of their homes without depending on outsiders?

I hope Saudis would declare through social media networks their solidarity with one another – like they did in other matters – to save themselves from this exploitation. I wish they had stopped recruiting maids during high seasons like Ramadan and experienced the holy month without housemaids.

This approach will certainly crush the black market for maids as everybody will abandon expensive maids. Saudis will become like other families of the world. They will also be able to live peacefully with love and security without the interference of others in their dress and food habits.