Domestic workers in oil-rich Gulf get $400 a month

Domestic workers in Dubai earn just over $400 per month, according a new online survey which ranks the average salaries in the Gulf states.

Labourers in the Emirati state are paid on average $462 per month, shortly followed by Doha where they earn $440, the HelperChoice Domestic Worker Salary Survey Middle East 2016 said.

Jeddah ranks third with $428 while Kuwait falls in last place with workers earning just $384 per month.

Some 2,000 job advertisements were analysed to retrieve the results, HelperChoice said, noting they reflect the starting salaries and do not include other employment costs including insurance and medical expenses.

Gulf states face regular criticism from international rights group who accuse them of treating migrant workers - especially those from south east Asian nationalities - poorly.

Earlier this year, a Qatari-funded report showed domestic workers in the state work longer hours than most people, while earning the least.

The statistics showed staff worked an average of 57 hours per week, according to the Ministry of Development, Planning and Statistics data, while others including government staff, teachers and healthcare workers spending 40 hours a week in employment.

Last week, UN rights experts urged Kuwait to scrap its controversial kafala sponsorship system for foreign workers.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), domestic workers comprise a significant part of the global workforce in informal employment and are among the most vulnerable groups of workers.

They work for private households, cleaning, cooking, taking care of children or sick family members - often without clear terms of employment, unregistered in any book, and excluded from the scope of labour legislation.