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On the surface, extended maternity and paternity leave policies appear progressive. However, for many migrant workers-especially informal and semi-formal employment-these rights will remain a distant dream.
The migrants often lack bargaining power to demand such benefits, causing them to get trapped in the cycle of exploitation. If these reforms have any real impact, the Saudi government should apply universal access to these provisions, ensuring that no worker is left behind regardless of nationality or job role.
Strict punishment for labor violations, including unauthorized employment practices and unlicensed manpower services, indicate a commendable intention to regulate the labor market. Nevertheless, the enforcement remains a great challenge.
Migrant workers continue to tolerate wage theft, illegal subcontinent and living situation. The state should prioritize real inspection rather than performance measures.
The need to provide housing, transport, or equivalent cash allowances for employers can significantly improve the quality of life for migrant workers. However, cash allowances are inadequate alone if they fail to cover real -life costs. Employers can take advantage of this provision to transfer financial burden on workers, abolishing many inequalities with the aim of eliminating these reforms.
To prevent such exploitation and ensure that clear and applied guidelines are important that all workers have access to the situation of living safe and dignified.
For labor migrants, these improvements represent a glimpse of hope amidst a scenario of systemic neglect and exploitation. However, hope is not enough.
As states move towards implementing these reforms, it stands at an important intersection. Will Saudi Arabia embrace a labor policy contained in equity and justice, or will it continue to renounce the rights of its migrant workforce on the altar of national development? Answer: Transparency, accountability and priority of actual enforcement are vested in the government’s will.
A report by Human Rights Watch recently suggests that 884 Bangladeshi migrant workers died alone in Saudi Arabia between January and July 2024, 80 percent of these deaths were easily classified as “natural causes” Gaya and any compensation investigation was left without deprived families. HRW reports alleged that ‘Giga-Projects’ for Vision 2030 and FIFA 2034 have been built on extensive labor abuses in Saudi Arabia.
A document in the Lok Sabha suggests that more than 10,000 Indians died in the state between 2020 and 2023. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that the real cause of death in any Arab Gulf country including Saudi Arabia is rarely reported accurately.
