RIYADH — The black market has raised the price of violating domestic workers through social networking sites with the arrival of Ramadan by 100 percent.

The exchange price of the worker jumped from SR1,500 to SR3,500 a month. Traders in the market identified 3 reasons for the rise, including increased demand, delayed recruitment and high recruitment costs. Recruitment brokers became active in promoting and raising prices through the websites, taking advantage of the needs of housewives during the holy month where the black market opened the appetite of workers to escape from their sponsors, Madina newspaper reported.

Abdullah Al-Ansari, an owner of a recruitment office, attributed the increase in labor prices to the increase due to the increase in demand in Ramadan, the delay in recruitment offices, the increase in costs and demand.

Yahya Al-Zahrani attributed the rise in prices of female domestic workers to Ramadan, where the salary of the worker reached SR3,500 a month yet previously ranged from SR800 to SR1,500, that is, the increase was twice the normal days.

Umm Anas, a private school teacher, stated that the high cost of bringing domestic workers in addition to the long waiting periods for the worker urge some families to resort to the black market and make arrangements with one of the violating workers to work during the month of Ramadan. She said that most of these workers set conditions for their jobs such as focusing their work on dishwashing or not working in large homes or with children.

The Ministry of Labor, Development and Social Affairs called on citizens not to respond to advertisements for selling, renting and giving up domestic labor services in the media in all its forms by unauthorized individuals or entities.