ADHRB at HRC59 Calls to End Kafala System Fueling Labor Trafficking in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain

On June 23, 2025, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and partner organizations delivered an intervention during the 59th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. During their intervention under Item 3, in the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, ADHRB called for[…]

Transnational Repression by the GCC: The Misuse of Intergovernmental Organizations

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[…]

Despite Sporadic Releases, Persecutions Against Political Prisoners Continue in Saudi Arabia

Since the end of last year and in the first months of 2025, a large number of prisoners have been released in Saudi Arabia. Among them are prisoners of conscience, including high-profile human rights activists. This is certainly a step forward since many of these people have been arrested in a completely arbitrary manner and[…]

Trapped in the System: Women Domestic Workers and Kafala in the Gulf States

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[…]

Why Saudi Arabia Must Restore a Moratorium On Drug Executions

The number of executions for drug crimes in Saudi Arabia is reaching staggering numbers. Since the beginning of 2025, at least 111 individuals have been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, and 68 of these were executed for drug-related crimes. As well as causing concern, these recent developments demonstrate how Saudi Arabia continues to renege[…]