UAE and Bahrain Agree to Memorandums of Understanding with India

Recently, India has been taking steps to curb human trafficking both internally and externally. It has agreed to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoU’s) with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE); India has also enacted a similar MoU with Bangladesh. These MoU’s represent formal cooperation on preventing and combating human trafficking. Prime Minister of India[…]

Kuwait Contemplates Controversial Proposal

Kuwait may soon undertake new steps to change its population ratio, which is comprised mostly of migrant workers. Currently, Kuwaitis make up just over 30% of the country’s current population. The new law would force migrant workers to leave the country if fired by their employers. Supporters of the proposal claim that unemployed expatriate workers[…]

Despite promises, Zainab al-Khawaja and son remain in detention

On 7 April 2016, Foreign Minister of Bahrain Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said officials would release prominent human rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja and her son from prison. “This is a humanitarian issue, and Zainab al-Khawaja will be released pending her case in court,” said Sheikh Khaled in a press release last month. Since the[…]

Women in Saudi Arabia: from PE class to driving

Since 2013, Physical Education (PE) classes for girls in Saudi Arabia have only been open to those who attend private school. In these classes, the female students must abide by a “decent dress code” that complies with the rules of Sharia, as interpreted by the Government of Saudi Arabia. However, with the recent campaign, girls[…]

Saudi Nationals Contribute to Human Trafficking Domestically and Abroad

Like most of the other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia is a destination country for human trafficking. Migrant and domestic workers travel from Southeast Asia, Africa, and East Asia in order to make more money to send home to their families. Once in Saudi Arabia, many laborers, especially female domestic workers, are[…]