In Saudi Arabia, labour by foreign domestic workers is controlled through the “kafala” system. To get authorisation to work in the country, a foreign worker must have a “kafil” (or “sponsor”). They are given guardianship of foreign domestic workers. They write up their contracts and the terms of their visa. Kafils are sometimes individual employers and sometimes agencies.
This system makes foreign domestic workers dependent on their sponsors. When a woman arrives on Saudi territory, she has to give her passport to her sponsor for the entire duration of her contract. If, at some point during her contract, she wants to change jobs, she has to get permission from her sponsor.
If she is let go, then her former employer has sign off on a contract with a new employer, which is a complicated legal procedure.
By organising these sales and auctions online, sponsors get around these complicated transfer laws: They don’t have to pay fees for breaking a contract with a domestic worker and don’t have to waste time in legal proceedings. Moreover, they ask a fee for the “sale” of their former employee, which they can’t do if they go down the legal route.
"Domestic workers become like a defective object. Instead of throwing her away, you give her to the highest bidder, even if you have to lower the price”
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