When Saudi Arabia recently made new labor regulations prohibiting employers from charging domestic workers recruitment or work permit fees, many global commentators welcomed it as a breakthrough. The Saudi Gazette called the action a move toward providing “a decent life and stable work environment” for domestic workers. On paper, it’s a humanitarian milestone. But glance closely, and this new law seems another addition to the Kingdom’s continued sportswashing crusade, a bid to whitewash its reputation ahead of the FIFA 2034 World Cup.
A Convenient Reform, Perfectly Timed
Saudi Arabia’s recent announcement falls at a strategic moment. As the rest of the world looks to its build-up for FIFA 2034, the government is eager to present an image of modernity and benevolence. This “ban on employer fees” is being presented as a reform in human dignity, but it’s probably a reform in reputation.
The action is a typical cycle: sweeping declarations, global accolades, and weak implementation. The same occurred when Saudi Arabia reformulated its infamous Kafala (sponsorship) system in 2021. The world hailed the news, but thousands of migrant workers still suffered from exploitation, unpaid salaries, and physical assaults.
These reforms hardly ever trickle down to those most in need of them. Rather, they are easy campaign slogans for the leadership of Saudi Arabia—evidence for international viewers that “reform” is happening, even as Saudi Arabia continues to be one of the world’s most stifling labor markets.
The Reality for Migrant Workers
Over 2 million Pakistani workers are now working in Saudi Arabia, as well as millions of Egyptians, Bangladeshis, Indians, Sri Lankans, Indonesians, and Filipinos. These workers have made up the backbone of the Saudi economy for decades, cleaning houses, driving vehicles, preparing meals, and constructing buildings. But they are also some of the most exploited.
Despite several “worker protection” declarations, the vast majority of domestic workers continue to experience excessive working hours, delayed wages, and exploitation by employers who are infrequently held accountable. Even the recent handbook governing domestic labor contains provisions that ensure dominance instead of ensuring liberty. As an illustration, workers are required to “respect Islam and moral values of society” and can be fined and deported from the country for imprecise “infringements.
A domestic worker may be fined SR 2,000 or deported at her own cost for “misconduct.” Employers, on the other hand, who break these new regulations are punished with small fines that do little to discourage exploitation. In reality, power remains very much in the hands of the employer. The system of linking a worker’s residence to her employer, de facto bonded labor, remains intact.
Reforms for the Headlines, Not the Workers
This is not the first time Saudi Arabia has introduced human rights “reforms” that are grand-sounding but do little. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have consistently reported on how migrant workers remain subjected to conditions akin to modern slavery.
Even in the new regulations, the so-called “rights” of domestic workers—such as rest days, paid vacation, and not having to surrender their passports—are already included in traditional international labor norms. Saudi Arabia is not creating new protections; it’s simply advertising elementary rights that they should have had decades ago.
The timing is what makes the news relevant. By making this reform pre-FIFA 2034, Saudi Arabia wants international viewers to know that it’s “evolving.” But like the world saw in Qatar 2022, surface-level labor reforms cannot wash away decades of abuse or the blood of thousands of workers who perished constructing stadiums.
From Qatar 2022 to Saudi 2034: The Sportswashing Playbook
Saudi Arabia is using the same script Qatar used before hosting the most recent World Cup—make some token reforms, sell them worldwide, and apply sports as a means of legitimizing a repressive system.
This time around, the stakes are higher. Saudi Arabia’s record of human rights violations goes well beyond workers’ rights. The kingdom still beheads minors, muzzles dissent, and imprisons activists—women’s rights activists who once protested basic rights such as driving or leaving home without male consent.
By awarding Riyadh the 2034 World Cup, FIFA again has disregarded its own human rights record. Rather than rewarding those countries that promote equality, FIFA keeps dealing with those authoritarian governments that employ international sport as propaganda.
Hosting the world’s largest sporting spectacle should be a privilege achieved through justice and equality, not a public relations award for governments attempting to cover up oppression.
The Hidden Clauses of Control
Even in this so-called “progressive” labor guide, Saudi Arabia reinforces employer control. Domestic workers are required to vow to keep “household secrets,” obey all moral precepts, and “defend the employer’s property.” One charge of disobedience can result in deportation.
There is no independent labor court to safeguard workers, no functional reporting system, and no promise that fines or penalties will ever be enforced against abusive bosses. Essentially, Saudi Arabia’s reforms ring benevolent but function as contracts of submission.
This isn’t empowerment of workers—it’s management of image. Each clause, each penalty, and each media headline appears to be constructed to declare: “Look, we are reforming,” more than it actually does.
Why FIFA and the World Should Not Fall for It
The international football community, human rights groups, and supporters have a duty not to commit the errors of Qatar 2022. Thousands of migrant workers were exploited and killed for the sheen of a tournament that FIFA assured would bring “change.”
If the world truly believes in fair play and dignity, it must demand more than press releases. Before Saudi Arabia can be considered fit to host the FIFA 2034 World Cup, it must:
- Abolish the Kafala system completely.
- Guarantee independent unions and legal aid for workers.
- Ensure fair trials and end arbitrary detentions.
- Protect freedom of speech and the right to protest.
Without such authentic measures, no football game, no stadium, and no gleaming new law should persuade the world that Saudi Arabia is committed to human rights.
A Call for Accountability Before Celebration
Saudi Arabia’s reform of its domestic workers is a mirage of advancement—a well-scripted press release for global consumption, not for the millions of foreign migrant workers who live in ongoing terror. The world cannot afford to commemorate cosmetic change while silence is imposed over injustice.
While Saudi Arabia prepares for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, we are forced to confront the question: are we cheering football, or are we cheering a regime that uses football as a cover to whitewash its reputation?
The response will determine not only the future of sport, but also the ethical standing of every organization and nation that elects to turn a blind eye.
Until Saudi Arabia delivers real justice, not headlines, it should not host the FIFA 2034 World Cup. The world must boycott Saudi 2034 and demand accountability before applause.