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Kenya has signed a Letter of Intent with Saudi Arabia that sets up a three-month recruitment pilot with a cap on recruitment costs, with a target of placing at least 10,000 Kenyan workers in Saudi Arabia jobs every month. Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua announced the deal on 14 November 2026 after meeting Dr Abdullah bin Nasser Abuthnain, Vice Minister in Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, in Riyadh.
“Our target is to facilitate the recruitment of at least 10,000 Kenyan workers every month, opening up significant employment opportunities for Kenyans across different sectors of the Saudi Arabian economy,” Mutua said in his official statement.
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What the Saudi Arabia jobs deal says
According to the CS, the Letter of Intent sets out “a framework for enhanced cooperation in the recruitment of Kenyan workers to Saudi Arabia”. Its stated aims are lower recruitment costs, more jobs for Kenyans and “fair, transparent and sustainable labour mobility” between the two countries.
The main tool is an initial three-month pilot with an agreed all-inclusive recruitment cost ceiling. The statement does not give the amount of the ceiling.
“A key issue in our discussions was the high cost of recruitment, which places an unnecessary financial burden on Kenyans seeking employment abroad,” Mutua said. Lower costs, he added, would let workers “retain more of their earnings, save and invest in their future”.
Which jobs are covered
The CS listed drivers, hospitality workers, tutors, teachers, medical practitioners, construction workers, retail workers and jobs in the oil and gas sector, “among other occupations”.
The deal follows his 12 November statement from Riyadh, in which he said employment agencies operating in Saudi Arabia had “signed commitments providing 293,600 job opportunities for Kenyans across various sectors”. That list of Saudi Arabia jobs also named caregivers, nurses, chefs, factory workers and house helps. Mutua said Saudi Arabia recruits an average of 2.5 million new workers a year.
On 12 November the two sides also signed a technical annex to the bilateral agreement on recruiting domestic workers, first signed on 5 July 2026. The annex covers streamlined recruitment procedures and reduced recruitment costs, the CS said. Technical teams are to finish a separate agreement on skilled workers within one month.
What recruitment agencies must do
Taking part in the pilot is voluntary for recruitment agencies on both sides. Agencies “willing and able to operate within the proposed cost ceiling” can join; those that cannot are not obliged to.
Mutua said he has directed the National Employment Authority (NEA) to write to all interested agencies. They must send their details and supporting documents to NEA, which will pass them to the Saudi authorities so that job demand orders can be processed. Our guide on how to check if a recruitment agency is licensed by NEA explains the register.
Kenya will support agency compliance, review medical centres and speed up documents, while Saudi Arabia will work through its Nairobi embassy on faster visas for Saudi Arabia jobs.
Warning to people seeking Saudi Arabia jobs
The CS warned Kenyans not to deal with unlicensed agents or individuals offering Saudi Arabia jobs. “Only deal with recruitment agencies duly licensed by the National Employment Authority (NEA),” he said, adding that people should not hand over money or personal documents without verifiable job offers.
Both governments will review the pilot at the end of the three months, looking at implementation, recruitment volumes and outcomes, before deciding on changes or an extension. Earlier travel limits are covered in our report on the Saudi Arabia travel ban appeal, and job seekers can read our guide to jobs in Saudi Arabia for Kenyans and nursing jobs in Saudi Arabia.
Frequently asked questions
How many Kenyans will the Saudi Arabia jobs pilot recruit?
The target is at least 10,000 Kenyan workers every month, according to Labour CS Alfred Mutua’s statement of 14 November 2026.
How long is the recruitment pilot?
Three months for the Saudi Arabia jobs pilot. Both governments will review it at the end to decide on adjustments or an extension.
What is the recruitment cost ceiling?
The Letter of Intent sets an agreed all-inclusive recruitment cost ceiling, but the amount was not published in the CS’s statement.
How do recruitment agencies join?
Interested agencies submit their details and supporting documents to the National Employment Authority, which forwards them to the Saudi authorities. Joining the Saudi Arabia jobs pilot is voluntary.
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