Trapped in Saudi Arabia: The Kafala System

Dissidents and Dictators

Saudi Arabia just announced the “Labour Relation Initiative” set to be implemented in March 2021 which will ease foreign workers contractual restrictions. This podcast will provide an overview of the Kafala sponsorship system in Saudi Arabia and the implications of the announcement. In a fireside chat, Executive Director of the Saudi American Justice Project Bethany AlHaidari will discuss how the Kafala system works, and how the Saudi regime is using this alleged “reform” to draw attention away from human rights abuses in the lead up to the upcoming G20 summit. It will also highlight other “cosmetic” reforms that the regime implements, such as those to its male guardianship system, to whitewash its human rights violations.