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End of the kafala system, a historic turning point for the rights of foreign workers.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has officially abolished the kafala system, this sponsorship system established in the 1950s which governed the relationship between employers and migrant workers. Announced in June 2025, the reform has now entered into force. It aims to strengthen the rights of workers and improve their living and employment conditions throughout the Kingdom.
The kafala system tied each foreign worker to a Saudi employer, prohibiting them from changing jobs or leaving the country without their permission. Long denounced by human rights organizations and the International Labor Organization (ILO), this system has been accused of encouraging abuse, the confiscation of passports and, in some cases, forced labor, particularly among domestic employees and low-skilled workers.
The Kingdom has replaced the sponsorship model with a more flexible contractual framework. Foreign workers can now change employers without prior authorization; leave the country without an exit visa; go directly to the labor courts to assert their rights.