Kuwait implemented the Kafala (sponsorship) system around the 1950s, initially implemented to control migration into Arab countries. Under the system, states are usually supposed to provide employers with enough funding, visas, and residency to allow the workers to be employed. Although Kuwait has made promises to reform its labor system, the Kafala framework still places[…]
10
Nov
Nov
Over the past decade, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have been enacting Personal Data Protection Laws (PDPLs) in order to better regulate the collection and processing of their citizens’ personal information. Even though these laws can be considered as an important step forward in safeguarding privacy in increasingly digitalized societies, they also raise important[…]
07
Nov
Nov
Executive summary The following report was produced by Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain and included information presented during the July 2025 session of the UN Committee Against Torture. It considers developments in Bahrain regarding the recommendations that the organisation had raised in the 2017 CAT report. For each of the 18 recommendations,[…]
04
Nov
Nov
In June of 2025, Saudi Arabia announced its decision to abolish the Kafala system. This announcement forms part of the Saudi Vision 2030 Initiative, and claims to replace the previous sponsorship framework with a contractual employment model, better reflecting modern labour standards. If implemented appropriately, this decision would represent a significant development in human rights[…]
03
Nov
Nov
The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) 2014 Counter-Terrorism Law has been subject to widespread criticism for its vague and overly broad definition of terrorism. Under this law, acts that should fall under the universally protected rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association can be prosecuted as “terrorist offences.” Articles 14 and 15 go so[…]
