“Saudi Arabia becomes first Arab country to launch National Policy on forced labour and worker rights”

New efforts to address forced labour through a National Policy were announced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The policy aims to improve workplace safety and create fairer working conditions to align with international human rights standards.

According to our Global Slavery Index, 740,000 people are living in modern slavery in Saudi Arabia, the highest prevalence among 11 countries in the Arab States region.

In our 2021 study examining forced labour experiences reported by migrant workers who had returned to their home country from the Arab States, 15 per cent of people surveyed who had worked in Saudi Arabia experienced forced labour…

Saudi Arabia’s historically ill-treatment of migrant workers was recently highlighted in the Kingdom Uncovered: Inside Saudi Arabia documentary.

An estimated 21,000 migrant workers have died since construction began on NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s flagship megacity, as part of the Vision 2030 initiative.

This equals more than 8 deaths a day over the past 8 years, with thousands of workers reported missing.

In addition to fatalities, migrant workers face dire working conditions, wage theft, and gruelling hours that exceed international labour standards…