Saudi Arabia has decided to give foreign workers more rights amid a push to make the kingdom more attractive to international business and after the rival Gulf Arab country of Qatar made similar changes....

The change came amid rumors last week that Saudi Arabia was going to eliminate the kefala system. However, these reforms do not go that far...

“Employers still retain some power over migrant workers’ legal status. Migrant workers still need an employer to act as their sponsor to enter the country and to issue and renew their residency. Employers can still cancel their residency at any time, leaving workers dependent on their employers,” [Rothna Begum, senior women's rights researcher at HRW] said.