The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) condemned all atrocities against Palestinians, including the murder of tens of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip, most of which were women and children. Recently, at least hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers were killed by Saudi Arabian authorities at the Yemen-Saudi border; these killings may qualify as crimes against humanity.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested human rights campaigners, public intellectuals, and nonviolent dissidents. They have also condemned people to death or decades in jail over postings they made on social media. Authorities funded ostentatious sports and entertainment organizations, celebrities, and events to sully their reputation tarnished by a dismal human rights record. Through an announced agreement on June 6, the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) have effectively enabled the Saudi government’s efforts to “sportswash” its egregious human rights record. This agreement gives the government unprecedented influence and control over an entire sport, professional golf.
Human rights violation in Saudia
Women’s rights activists Loujain al-Hathloul, Nassimah al-Sadah, and Samar Badawi are among those who continue to be prohibited from traveling and have suspended prison terms, which gives the government the power to send them back to jail for any alleged criminal behavior. Charges about peaceful expression or action kept human rights advocate Mohammed al-Rabea, humanitarian worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, and human rights attorney Waleed Abu al-Khair incarcerated. Additionally, Baakdah has underlined the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) gratitude for the proactive efforts taken by Norway, Ireland, Spain, Armenia, and Slovenia in recognizing the state of Palestine, and that the KSA is asking other nations to do the same with bilateral recognition. A two-state solution is being pushed for by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Norway, the European Union (EU), and its partners in the Ministerial Committee appointed by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Gaza developments. This is because the KSA recognizes that it has a collective duty to support the realization of an independent Palestinian state actively. The parties involved are urged to support this initiative by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Contrasting Saudi actions: Support for Palestinian rights and migrant abuses
Between March 2023 and June 2024, at least hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers were slain by Saudi border guards trying to enter the Yemen-Saudi border. Human Rights Watch discovered that in a widespread and organized pattern of attacks, Saudi border guards shot migrants at close range, including several women and children, and used explosive devices to kill them. Saudi border officers have occasionally shot refugees at close range after asking which limb they should kill. Jassem Albudaiwi, the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General, demanded an instant cease-fire between the two parties to safeguard defenseless civilians. According to a statement from the GCC, he “held the Israeli occupation forces responsible for the current situation resulting from the continuous and flagrant Israeli attacks against the Palestinian people and holy sites.”
Albudaiwi stated that the continued Israeli strikes reflect a flagrant violation of international norms and regulations, hampering the peace process for resolving the Palestinian issue. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan conferred with his colleagues from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and Gambia over the latest events in the Palestinian territories. Amid intensifying events in Gaza and the West Bank, Prince Faisal emphasized in separate phone calls the necessity of stepping up Arab-Islamic cooperation to put an end to violence against Palestinians.
The economy of Saudi Arabia is largely dependent on migrant labor. Saudi Arabia is home to around 13.4 million migrants, or 41.6 percent of the country’s total population, according to its 2022 census. Despite recent revisions, the authorities persist in enforcing one of the area’s most stringent and exploitative kafala schemes. Israeli aggression in the West Bank has increased recently, provoking worldwide outrage while the conflict in Gaza rages. During meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized the Kingdom’s desire to coordinate Arab and Muslim nations’ efforts to aid the Palestinian people against Israel’s ruthless attack.
Many employees unintentionally lose their documentation due to false reports from their bosses that they are “absconding,” even when escaping mistreatment. The right to challenge their imprisonment and deportation is denied to migrants. Humanitarian disasters befall Gaza’s Palestinian population. Nowhere is safe, although over 1.7 million people have been forced from their homes. In the meantime, there is a chance that the situation in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank will worsen. The ambassador also mentioned that the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) decision from May 10, 2024, which supported Palestine’s candidacy for full UN membership, was well-received by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).