Rights of citizens, expats protected

RIYADH: The Kingdom accords top priority to human rights for its citizens, including women and children, as well as expatriates because it considers this a duty toward Islam.
The Islamic Shariah, which forms the basis of the Saudi law, guarantees equality and rejects discrimination in all its forms — whether it is caste, creed, color or nationality. The Kingdom is committed to rights protection not just because it is a party to the agreements on human rights, but also because the Shariah prescribes it.
Article 26 of the law guarantees the rights of citizens and their families at all times, particularly in cases of emergency, illness and old age. It also protects the rights of workers and employers and stipulates the right to education and the need to fight illiteracy.
According to SPA, at the top of the Saudi regulations are those related to the judiciary, criminal justice, health, education, labor, culture, rights of children and women. Moreover, the judiciary has an independent role, according to the Shariah.
Even the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 lays great emphasis on human rights in the development process, as a guarantee that economic, cultural and social rights are protected. Besides, it stipulates regional and international cooperation in the field of protecting and enhancing human rights.
The Kingdom strives to provide a safe environment for children, protect their physical, mental and psychological wellbeing through the child protection laws, besides ensuring their right to education.
The legislative system includes all Shariah laws as well as international laws and agreements; it stipulates penalties for a number of violations and prohibitions with regard to parents or people in private or government authorities.
In the case of children protection is not limited to sexual, physical and psychological harm, to which sometimes children in general can be subjected; it also includes provisions regarding negligence, inadequate care within the family or in public places, leaving children without family support, absence of official documents, vaccination, school dropouts or exposure to danger.
The Kingdom also supports women’s rights at all levels, which allows them to make achievements at the local and international level.
Article 8 of the Saudi law stipulates that women have the right to be independent financially, total legal responsibility, total freedom and right to fully manage their affairs.
The Kingdom did not spare any efforts in uplifting women’s role in the community. Important decisions in that direction include the assignment of 30 women in the Shoura Council, allowing them to participate in municipal elections and supporting productive families through programs. At the same time, a national project was initiated whereby widows and divorcees are housed in special places to help them live a dignified life.
The Kingdom offers an attractive work environment to foreign workers that makes it a host for more than nine million expatriates who work in various fields. All the necessary procedures are in place to protect their rights and provide a suitable and humane working environment to them.
Monitoring mechanisms have contributed to the improvement of the laborers’ status and to enhancing their rights. It obliged employers in the private sector to provide health insurance to their employees.
The Kingdom signed bilateral agreements with labor-exporting countries; it makes sure that the commitment to not make laborers toil under the sun between noon and 3 p.m. from the beginning between June and August is observed.
Article 61 of the labor law prevents employers from saying or doing anything that insults the workers’ dignity or religion.
Article 104 obliges employers to allow workers to perform their religious duties.
The wage protection program monitors the payment process of employees in the private sector and establishes a database.