Saudi Labor Policy

Gulf News reports that Saudi Arabia is going to start penalizing employers that mistreat guest workers:

"In a major move to curb the mistreatment of foreign workers by their sponsors, the Saudi authorities have taken a landmark decision to take punitive measures against errant employers.

"The National Recruitment Committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry decided on Sunday to furnish the Ministry of Labour with a detailed list of Saudi sponsors who have mistreated their workers.

"Sa'ad Al Badah, chairman of the committee, told reporters that the initiative was the result of a lack of cooperation on the part of some employers regarding furnishing recruitment offices with clarifications sought by the committees."

I have no idea if this is significant or just a slap on the wrist. The whole situation does, however, highlight the selectiveness of what the country's religious establishment chooses to focus on. Do the religious police ever interest themselves in this issue? I'm pretty sure Islam has a lot to say about the matter.