Saudi Arabia has taken a significant step towards protecting migrant workers by dismantling the decades-old kafala sponsorship system. This historic reform impacts approximately 13 million foreign laborers in the Kingdom, including a substantial 2.5 million Indian nationals. For years, the kafala system, meaning ‘sponsorship’ in Arabic, has tied workers’ legal status directly to their employers, granting sponsors immense control over their visas, employment, and ability to leave the country. This structure has frequently led to severe exploitation, including withheld wages, passport confiscation, and forced labor, effectively trapping millions in conditions akin to modern slavery. The reform, part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030, aims to boost the economy and improve the nation’s global image by allowing workers greater freedom to change jobs and depart without employer consent. While this move is a major victory, similar sponsorship systems remain in place in other Gulf nations, continuing to affect millions more workers worldwide. Effective implementation and enforcement will be crucial to ensuring genuine change and protecting vulnerable migrant populations.
