Overview
- Officials say the overhaul will affect roughly 13 million migrant workers, many from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines.
- Employees can change jobs without sponsor consent and no longer need exit visas to leave or re-enter Saudi Arabia.
- Measures include standardized digital employment contracts and expanded access to labour courts and complaint channels, with services routed through Absher and Qiwa platforms.
- Human rights groups and the ILO had long denounced Kafala for enabling exploitation, noting domestic workers were among the most at risk.
- Coverage notes the abolition was announced in June 2025 and follows earlier steps, with outcomes hinging on enforcement and how protections reach all worker categories.