No, Saudi Arabia has not abolished the Kafala system
October 29, 2025
Fact-checking the disinformation campaign making the rounds
Kafala
Latest articles
Kuwait Reinstates Exit Permit, Tightening the Grip of Kafala
October 29, 2025
Kuwait recently reinstated the exit permit requirement for private-sector migrant workers. The move highlights how Kafala reforms can quickly be rolled back in the absence of a complete overhaul of the region’s labour migration system
Crackdown on “azad” visa holders in Saudi Arabia
February 11, 2023
Bahrain launches new Labour Registration Program to replace Flexi-Permit
December 22, 2022
It is crucial to highlight that working without a sponsor does not always entail better living and working conditions. As MR previously reported, Flexi-Permit holders were rendered vulnerable in other ways when compared to those under a kafeel.
Huroob cases on the rise as Saudi’s Kafala reforms off to a shaky start
April 25, 2022
Rife with corruption and kickbacks, lifting Huroob charges is a lucrative business for middlemen
Searching outside the Gulf for better models of labour migration
May 17, 2021
But, can 'temporary' migration schemes ever be pro-worker?
