"UN Experts Sound Alarm Over Saudi Arabia’s Abusive Labor Governance System" 19 May 2026
Experts have highlighted that exploitation has persisted, including unaccountable deaths, wage theft, workplace violence, retention of identity documents, and exorbitant recruitment fees...This aligns with Human Rights Watch’s research finding that, despite several waves of labor reforms including the Labor Reform Initiative, migrant workers continue to face widespread abuse across employment sectors and geographic regions... this includes workers employed in high profile mega- and giga-projects funded by or linked to the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund...

Saudi authorities have dismissed reports by rights groups on the grounds that victim accounts are anonymized, while failing to provide their own evidence that claimed reforms are being implemented and have made meaningful improvements in workers’ lives...Saudi authorities attempted to close a recent complaint filed by African trade unions against the state for not adhering to its binding commitment in relation to several International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions in the 356th Session of the Governing Body in March 2026...

Officials’ refusal to engage with evidence risks misrepresenting migrant workers’ realities, weakens accountability, and sends hiring companies the message that they do not need to make meaningful reforms...