Trapped in Servitude: The Dark Reality of African Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia
From Dreams to Nightmares: How Kenyan and Ugandan Women Face Abuse, Exploitation, and Death in the Gulf
Watan-Every day, thousands of women from Kenya and Uganda leave their countries in search of job opportunities in Saudi Arabia, believing they will achieve their dreams of a better life. However, they soon discover that they have entered a world of hell—where exploitation, torture, rape, and even murder await them.
With enticing advertisements and promising offers, recruitment agencies in East Africa lure young women with the hope of golden opportunities as domestic workers or nannies. But the reality they face in Saudi Arabia is far from their dreams.
International investigations and human rights reports, notably from The New York Times, have exposed the tragedy of African domestic workers, many of whom endure physical and sexual abuse, harsh treatment, and grueling work hours without pay or rest.
Trapped and Abused: The Silent Suffering of African Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia
Some women have been raped by their employers, while others have suffered physical torture, including being thrown from balconies. Media reports have documented cases of workers who were hurled from upper floors after being assaulted—some were left bedridden with severe injuries, while others disappeared without a trace.
مملكة الـ ـمـ ـوت.. مملكة القـ ـمع والـ ـقـ ـتل والاغـ ـتصـ ـاب والترهـ ـيب
تحقيقات صادمة حول واقع العاملات الإفريقيات في ديار السعوديين.. انتهاك صارخ للقوانين وتعد على أبسط حقوق الإنسان في مملكة ابن سلمان#السعودية pic.twitter.com/BFYEUBF2Wx
— وطن. يغرد خارج السرب (@watanserb_news) March 17, 2025
Saudi Arabia is one of the largest destinations for employing African women as domestic workers. However, life inside many Saudi households turns into a prison. Many women are cut off from the outside world and deprived of their basic rights, leaving them as victims of modern slavery. Despite repeated calls for their protection, Mohammed bin Salman’s government continues to ignore the increasing abuses, while horrifying cases keep emerging.
In a grim irony, the Saudi Crown Prince chairs the UN Commission on Women’s Rights, even as women’s rights—especially those of African domestic workers—are violated in his own country. While the government releases statements promoting reforms, families in Uganda and Kenya are left waiting for any news of their missing daughters—young women who set out to fulfill their dreams but returned in coffins or never returned at all.
