Disagreement between the Ethiopian and Saudi governments over the application of an online platform to recruit Ethiopian workers to Saudi Arabia has blocked the implementation of a labour exchange agreement.

The difference arose after Saudi officials insisted on using an automated system, ‘Musaned’, developed by the Ministry of Labour & Social Development of Saudi Arabia. The Ministry developed the system in 2014 to facilitate procedures for the recruitment of domestic workers.

The platform, which works in English and Arabic, has seven tools that clarify the obligations of both the employer and the employee, the steps of recruitment, a list of all licensed recruitment offices and companies, a description of how to file complaints, required documents for the process, pertinent information and news.

The platform is used for employees from 26 countries, including the Philippines, which make up the fourth largest group of foreigners working in Saudi Arabia and the second largest source of remittances to the Philippines.

Ethiopian officials hesitate from using the platform, because it does not include all the requirements contained in the labour exchange agreement, according to Aman Lule, Saudi Arabian desk officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"We want to have reliable contract documents and create a safer atmosphere for the employees," he said.

Ethiopia requires the contract documents of the employers and agents to be authenticated by the Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia. Before reaching a final agreement between the employee and the local agent, the contractual agreement needs to be verified by the Embassy of Ethiopia in Saudi Arabia.

However, the government of Saudi Arabia disagrees with the proposed procedures presented by the Ethiopian government.

"This led to the suspension of the implementation of a labour exchange agreement," Aman told Fortune.

To resolve the issue, discussions are taking place between the ministries of Labour and Foreign Affairs of both countries, according to Aman.

While this is going on, news started to circulate on social media that claimed Saudi Arabia had removed Ethiopia from a list of counties that can send workers to Saudi Arabia.

However, Ethiopia's embassy in Riyadh rebutted this story.