RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has rolled out its National Policy for the Elimination of Forced Labor, aiming to protect workers and create safer working conditions across the Kingdom.
The policy, announced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, outlines measures to prevent forced labor and provide protection for victims. It will also strengthen coordination at national, regional, and international levels to combat the issue more effectively.
Osama Ghanem Alobaidy, a legal expert at the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh, explained that the policy seeks to ensure the safety and protection of all individuals working in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia ratified the International Labour Organization’s 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention in 2021, becoming the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nation to adopt this global standard.
“This policy shows Saudi Arabia’s commitment to improving the rights and protections of workers within the Kingdom,” Alobaidy said. “It builds on existing measures to address forced labor, ensuring greater safeguards for all individuals in the country.”
Deputy Minister for Control and Development of the Work Environment, Sattam Alharbi, said the introduction of this policy marks an important step in protecting workers’ rights and improving the overall work environment in Saudi Arabia.
The policy also includes initiatives to support forced labor victims, offering legal, social, and economic aid to help them recover and reintegrate into society while preventing further victimization.
Saudi Arabia has already implemented various laws to protect its workforce, such as the trafficking of persons law and labor regulations prohibiting forced labor. Additionally, the Kingdom recently introduced an insurance service to protect expatriates’ wages and provide travel assistance in cases of employer defaults.
Alobaidy also commended Saudi Arabia for leading the GCC in ratifying the ILO protocol, enhancing its efforts to eliminate forced labor and improve worker protections in line with Vision 2030.
