Saudi Arabia will allow new recruitment firms to bring in more maids from different countries in a move to curb black marketing of domestic workers, a report said.

The Labour Ministry of the kingdom will give 10 manpower companies 700,000 visas to hire foreign workers, including housemaids, according to the report in Arab News.

The move is expected to help the citizens in the legal hiring of housemaids, instead of resorting to black market channels.

The staffing companies have agreed to supply maids at a monthly salary of SR1,500 ($400) monthly and also pay them overtime for work on holidays, the report said.