Saudi Arabia Abolishes Kafala System, Frees 13 Million Migrant Workers

Saudi Arabia has officially abolished its decades-old Kafala system, a sponsorship model that tightly controlled the lives of over 13 million migrant workers, mostly from South and Southeast Asia. Introduced in the 1950s to regulate foreign labor during the Gulf's oil boom, the system gave employers near-total authority over workers' employment, residency, and legal status, often leading to exploitation, including passport confiscation, wage withholding, and restrictions on job changes or travel. The abolition, announced in June 2025, replaces Kafala with a contract-based employment framework that grants workers greater job mobility, freedom of movement, and improved access to legal recourse, reflecting a major step toward enhancing labor rights and migrant welfare. This reform is a key part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030, aiming to modernize Saudi society, improve its global image, and attract skilled talent. While private-sector workers benefit from these changes, domestic workers remain under separate regulations and may not immediately gain the same protections. The reform has been welcomed internationally, with human rights groups noting it addresses long-standing issues of forced labor and exploitation linked to the Kafala system.