Saudi Arabia hosts over 13mln foreign residents from 60 countries, says human rights official

PHOTO

GENEVA — Saudi Arabia has exhibited an unprecedented openness to different races and cultures by hosting more than 13 million foreigners of some 60 nationalities, who enjoy their rights guaranteed by the Kingdom's laws and international conventions, according to the President of Saudi Human Rights Commission (HRC), Dr. Hala Al-Tuwaijri.

Al-Tuwaijri was speaking in Geneva on Wednesday as the head of the Saudi Arabian delegation to the 114th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

She said her country's wise leadership implemented reforms that strengthened its established principles of justice and equality.

“Since the adoption of its Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has witnessed an unprecedented openness to different races, cultures and religions, as a result of reforms related to work, tourism, investment, residency, hosting of global events and others,” Dr. Al-Tuwaijri said.

She added: "At the policy level, Saudi Arabia launched the National Policy to Promote Equal Opportunities and Treatment in Employment and Occupation, aiming to eliminate discrimination in the labor market, including racial discrimination, as well as the National Policy to Prevent Child Labor, aiming to combat and prevent child labor. Labor courts were also established, which represented a qualitative shift in labor justice."

Al-Tuwaijri concluded her speech by stressing Saudi leadership’s keenness on justice and equality and the rejection of racism and discrimination, which resulted in a legislative, institutional and judicial system whose components work together to combat racism and discrimination of all sorts.

Saudi Arabia joined the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by Royal Decree No. (M12) in 1997.