Close Menu
The Politic ReviewThe Politic Review
  • Home
  • News
  • United States
  • World
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Congress
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Money
  • Tech
Trending

EU country’s defense minister quits over budget dispute

October 23, 2025

Dana Perino of FOX News Makes BOLD Prediction About the Upcoming Virginia and New Jersey Gubernatorial Races (VIDEO)

October 23, 2025

Louvre Director Admits Security ‘Very Inadequate’ During Jewellery Heist, Promises New Cameras in Future

October 23, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
  • Donald Trump
  • Kamala Harris
  • Elections 2024
  • Elon Musk
  • Israel War
  • Ukraine War
  • Policy
  • Immigration
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
The Politic ReviewThe Politic Review
Newsletter
Thursday, October 23
  • Home
  • News
  • United States
  • World
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Congress
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Money
  • Tech
The Politic ReviewThe Politic Review
  • United States
  • World
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Congress
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Money
  • Tech
Home»World»Saudi Arabia Reforms Slave-Like ‘Kafala’ System for Migrant Workers
World

Saudi Arabia Reforms Slave-Like ‘Kafala’ System for Migrant Workers

Press RoomBy Press RoomOctober 22, 2025No Comments3 Mins Read
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Copy Link LinkedIn Tumblr Email VKontakte Telegram

Saudi Arabia has officially ended its “kafala” system of rules for migrant labor, a system that effectively turned some 13 million migrants into indentured servants and gave their employers total control over their lives.

Kafala is an Arabic word that means “sponsorship.” The system was created in the 1950s as a means of importing, and controlling, low-cost migrant labor during the Saudi oil boom.

Under kafala, every migrant worker is assigned to a local sponsor or “kafeel,” who would manage all aspects of the worker’s life in Saudi Arabia.

The kafala system was never anything more than a scheme for indentured servitude and borderline slavery. The kafeel “sponsors” controlled everything from workers’ employment and salary to their legal status and living conditions. 

Changing jobs was impossible without permission from the kafeel, who could punish troublesome workers by seizing their wages, or even their passports. Some migrants were immediately kicked out of Saudi Arabia for displeasing their employer-owners, while others found themselves unable to leave the country to return home.

Domestic workers were often the most abused under the kafala system, as their employers treated them like household pets, sometimes abusing them physically and sexually. Domestics had few legal rights and were terrified of facing repercussions if they reported abuse by their owner-employers.

Saudi Arabia has a gigantic number of migrant workers — currently about 13.4 million, which makes them almost 42 percent of the population — with many of them drawn from impoverished communities in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and the Philippines.

A growing chorus of condemnation from international labor and human rights groups prompted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to include the abolition of kafala in his Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan, which was intended to transition the kingdom away from complete dependency on the petroleum industry.

A key element of the MBS plan was reforming Saudi policies in various ways to make the country more appealing to foreign investors. Forced labor is something that most of Saudi Arabia’s investment partners disapprove of, with a few notable exceptions.

The Saudi government announced reforms to the kafala system in June which were implemented this week. Migrants will now work under more reasonable employment contracts that give them more control over their circumstances, including the freedom to change jobs and leave the country without seeking permission from their employers, and they will have a much better process for filing complaints with labor courts.

Human rights groups were cautiously optimistic about the reforms, although they pointed out that the kafala reforms do not yet apply to all workers, they do not address abusive labor recruiting practices, and more reforms are needed to protect domestic workers, the most vulnerable of Saudi Arabia’s migrants.

“Changing the law is the first step. Changing the reality on the ground will take much longer,” said Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Read the full article here

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Telegram Copy Link

Related Articles

World

EU country’s defense minister quits over budget dispute

October 23, 2025
World

Louvre Director Admits Security ‘Very Inadequate’ During Jewellery Heist, Promises New Cameras in Future

October 23, 2025
World

Ukraine Says it Now Has an A.I. Drone That Can Strike Ships Anywhere in The Black Sea

October 23, 2025
World

EU state offers air corridor for Putin-Trump summit

October 23, 2025
World

Japan’s First Female Leader Plans Conservative Policies, Closer Relations with U.S.

October 23, 2025
World

Volkswagen faces multi-billion cash-flow gap – Bild

October 22, 2025
Add A Comment
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Editors Picks

Dana Perino of FOX News Makes BOLD Prediction About the Upcoming Virginia and New Jersey Gubernatorial Races (VIDEO)

October 23, 2025

Louvre Director Admits Security ‘Very Inadequate’ During Jewellery Heist, Promises New Cameras in Future

October 23, 2025

Watch Live: Donald Trump Meets with NATO Secretary General

October 23, 2025

Victor Davis Hanson Suggests Liberals Like Jen Psaki Are Going After JD Vance for a Very Specific Reason (VIDEO)

October 23, 2025
Latest News

Ukraine Says it Now Has an A.I. Drone That Can Strike Ships Anywhere in The Black Sea

October 23, 2025

Employer-Sponsored Insurance More Expensive than Ever Under Obamacare

October 23, 2025

EU state offers air corridor for Putin-Trump summit

October 23, 2025

Subscribe to News

Get the latest politics news and updates directly to your inbox.

The Politic Review is your one-stop website for the latest politics news and updates, follow us now to get the news that matters to you.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube
Latest Articles

EU country’s defense minister quits over budget dispute

October 23, 2025

Dana Perino of FOX News Makes BOLD Prediction About the Upcoming Virginia and New Jersey Gubernatorial Races (VIDEO)

October 23, 2025

Louvre Director Admits Security ‘Very Inadequate’ During Jewellery Heist, Promises New Cameras in Future

October 23, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest politics news and updates directly to your inbox.

© 2025 Prices.com LLC. All Rights Reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • For Advertisers
  • Contact

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.