Millions of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia are trapped under Kafala -
just like Ahmad, who was fired without warning, had his passport
confiscated, and threatened repeatedly.

Financial giants like BlackRock and Vanguard continue pouring billions
into the companies and government bonds that enable abuses like his -
quietly fueling the Kafala system.

Tell global investors: divest from Kafala and stop funding modern-day
slavery now.

[ [link removed] ] Sign the petition 

   
John,

My name is Ahmed Abdul Majeed - after 40 years of hard work in Saudi
Arabia, the Kafala system nearly destroyed my life.

At the height of COVID-19, I was suddenly fired from a company owned by
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. When I asked to return home to care for
my sick wife, HR confiscated my passport. Overnight, I became a detainee -
trapped, unpaid, and terrified.

Then they threatened me: “Collect $100,000 from corporate accounts or
spend the rest of your life in jail.” I had nothing to do with these
accounts but I had no choice. I begged my son in India to sell our home to
pay the money. Only then did they return my passport and I left

Behind abuses like mine are financial giants - BlackRock, Vanguard,
Allianz, HSBC - pouring billions and fueling a system that traps workers
and strips them of their humanity. If they truly care about human rights,
they must stop funding modern-day slavery.

[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition: demand justice for me - and an end to the Kafala
system that destroys lives.

When global investors pull their money, MBS feels it. Divesting from the
system built on exploitation puts real pressure on him to end Kafala.
Money is the one language this government understands - take it away, and
change becomes impossible to ignore.

My case is not a mistake - it is the outcome of a system. Kafala is
modern-day slavery, giving employers total control over a worker’s life,
freedom, and fate.

Behind the glittering Gulf skylines is a hidden web of abuse - from the
construction workers who built Qatar’s stadiums to domestic workers
trapped in homes across the region.

I am old. I am sick. I don’t know how much time I have left. But I know
this: if you stand with me, they cannot ignore me and other workers
forever. For five and a half years, I fought alone. Today, I’m asking for
your voice.

[ [link removed] ]Sign now to demand an end to the Kafala system and justice for me &
every exploited worker.

Human rights groups, the ILO, and international watchdogs have already
exposed the truth: Kafala is exploitation, not employment. With your
voice, we can make it impossible for governments and corporations to hide
behind their polished PR while profiting from abuse.



[ [link removed] ] Sign the petition 



Thanks for all that you do,
Ahmed Abdul Majeed and the team at Ekō


More information:

[ [link removed] ]No, Saudi Arabia has not abolished the Kafala system
The Migrant Rights Research Open Repository 29 October 2025
[ [link removed] ]Migrant workers face ‘cycle of abuse’ in Saudi Arabia before World Cup,
UN told
The Guardian 26 November 2024
[ [link removed] ]‘Every day I cry’: 50 women talk about life as a domestic worker under
the Gulf’s kafala system
The Guardian 25 April 2024
[ [link removed] ]The wage slaves of the Kafala system
Open Democracy 15 November 2024

 

 

Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Please help keep Ekō strong by chipping in $3. [link removed]