Cairo: Saudi Arabia has warned that mistreating domestic workers is considered a human trafficking crime, which is toughly penalised in the kingdom.
The warning was made by Mohammed Al Masri, the secretary general of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, an affiliate of the Saudi Human Rights Commission.
He told Saudi television Al Ekhbariya that human trafficking in the kingdom is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of SR1 million.
Saudi authorities, he added, had offered assistance to more than 400 potential human trafficking victims last year.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has sought to reform its justice system as part of dramatic changes in the country led by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed.
In 2020, Saudi Arabia abolished the death penalty for minor offenders and flogging as a form of punishment.
The kingdom is home to a large community of migrant workers.
