Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) participated in the 59th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), held from 16 June to 9 July 2025. During this session, ADHRB delivered four oral interventions highlighting human rights violations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, particularly Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Under[…]
02
Jul
Jul
In the United Arab Emirates, there is a state authority that constantly abuses and restricts human rights. This is the State Security Agency (SSA), founded in 1974 by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The main purpose of this agency is to deal with state security issues. Over time, however, it has been used to[…]
23
Jun
Jun
Context and Background The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—have long been criticized for employing repressive domestic measures that violate international human rights standards. In the years since the 2011 Arab uprisings, these governments have intensified their crackdown on dissent through the enactment of repressive[…]
11
Jun
Jun
This briefing paper examines the widespread and institutionalized exploitation of women migrant domestic workers across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. Despite public commitments to reform, the kafala (sponsorship) system remains the primary mechanism governing migrant labor. Under this system, a worker’s immigration status is[…]
28
May
May
This year, authorities in Kuwait have launched a massive campaign to crackdown on foreign nationals who have violated the new residency law, Amiri Decree No. 114. As of now, 440 foreign nationals have been arrested for violating the law. The new law replaces the previous Law No. 17 which was the standard for over 60[…]
