After decades of criticism and human-rights outcry, Saudi Arabia has officially abolished its Kafala sponsorship system, a structure long accused of trapping millions of migrant workers in conditions similar to modern slavery.
- •The reform, announced in October 2025, could transform the lives of nearly 13 million foreign workers, including an estimated 200,000 Kenyans, who have lived and worked under the system’s grip.
- •Under the new framework, workers will be able change jobs without their employer’s consent once their contracts expire, obtain exit and re-entry visas independently, and access digital employment contracts monitored by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources.
- •The Kafala system, in place for over half a century, required every foreign worker to have a local sponsor, or kafeel, whose approval was needed to change jobs, renew residence permits, or even leave the country. It gave employers sweeping control over workers’ lives and created fertile ground for exploitation.
Human-rights groups have for years documented stories of Kenyan domestic workers facing confiscation of passports, unpaid wages, physical and sexual abuse, and confinement. Amnesty International once described the system as “as a network of coercion that stripped workers of agency and dignity.”
Kenya has been among the countries most affected. Government data show that more than 150,000 Kenyans, mostly women, are employed in Saudi homes as domestic workers, with tens of thousands more in hospitality and construction. Between 2020 and 2023, at least 270 Kenyan migrant workers died abroad, nearly one in ten of them in Saudi Arabia. Despite these risks, the promise of employment has remained irresistible. As youth unemployment rises at home, remittances from Saudi Arabia have more than doubled since 2020, becoming a vital source of household income and foreign exchange.
Officials say the reform is part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 agenda to modernize its labour market and attract global investment.
The Breakthrough
For Kenyan workers, the announcement offers cautious hope. “It’s a breakthrough moment,” said a Kenyan diplomat in Riyadh, “but the real question is whether these reforms will be enforced where it matters, in private homes and recruitment offices.”
Human-rights advocates share that concern. Amnesty International noted that domestic workers, who make up a significant share of Kenya’s migrants to Saudi Arabia, remain only partially covered by the new law and in many cases still require their employer’s permission to leave or change jobs.
Recruitment agencies in Nairobi have also warned that the reform’s success will depend on curbing rogue agents who prey on desperate jobseekers. Some charge illegal fees or falsify contracts, leaving workers indebted before they even depart. Kenya’s Ministry of Labour says that it is reviewing bilateral agreements with Gulf states to include stronger protections and better monitoring of licensed agencies.
Ending Kafala is therefore only the first step. Implementation, transparency, and cooperation between governments will determine whether it truly ends the cycle of abuse. For families in Kenya, the change could determine the difference between a source of pride and fear.
