Saudi Arabia marked the UN World Day Against Trafficking in Persons today by renewing its commitment to ending human trafficking and putting the protection of human dignity and rights at the top of its legal priorities.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) leads the effort and oversees the National Policy for the Elimination of Forced Labor, recently adopted by the Cabinet as the first policy of its kind in the GCC. The policy promotes decent work, guarantees non-discrimination and protects Saudi and expatriate workers alike from exploitation, abuse and deception.

It works alongside the Labor Law and the Anti-Human Trafficking Law. To put protections into practice, the ministry has introduced initiatives such as the Wage Protection Program and the Contractual Relationship Improvement Initiative, tightened rules on employing domestic workers and on online recruitment ads, and opened easy-to-use channels for reporting suspected violations.

In the first quarter of 2026, the ministry carried out more than 120,000 proactive inspections of businesses to raise compliance and handled more than 1,600 reports of suspected trafficking, quickly referring violators to the authorities for legal action. It also trains its staff regularly to spot early signs of exploitation.

Working with diplomatic and oversight bodies, the ministry continues its legislative, regulatory and awareness work, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which treats justice, dignity and human rights as pillars of national development.