Where do housemaids live if you're on a compound

Varies from compound to compound but generally in the larger villas in some (and not all compounds), there is a maids room inside the house.  Or if there isn't, people make arrangements for full time staff but usually inside the house somewhere.

The big difference between UAE and Saudi is that in UAE it is easier to sponsor housemaids if you earn enough money.  In Saudi, there are additional issues related to the profession on your Iqama/residency; not all professions are eligible to sponsor housemaids.  And unlike UAE, getting the right profession on your Iqama is not easy if you are an expat e.g. I know CEOs who don't have manager designations because they are meant for locals. So they make a lot of money and live on expensive compounds but cant sponsor housemaids.  As a result, quite a few people hire daily visit help vs. full time live-in, even on compounds.  Physically visit a compound in the morning and you will see a parade of maids entering and then leaving in the evening

Ah, thank you for the information. We've seen quite a few floor plans and there doesn't seem to be any maids rooms... And I was shocked at the cost of rent on compounds - I thought the UAE was expensive but it seems to be double what we pay here in AD. So, if a lot of the maids are "live out" what would you say is the average salary for a maid? As we have little ones and my husband might be working away for a good part of the week I really need help first thing in the morning and around 7pm... How do the maids get to and from accommodation? Does the employer have to pay for taxis etc.? Many thanks in advance for your help.