The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Undocumented Labour in Saudi Arabia The Case of Jeddah

Abstract

In the last few decades Saudi Arabia and Jeddah has experienced a massive flow of undocumented migrants. This phenomenon is particularly interesting in Saudi Arabia because it involves migrants from different continents and countries, offering the opportunity of a cross-sectional analysis of their communities. This thesis will focus in particular on the case of Jeddah as a case study that serves as a representative microcosm for the whole country. For the first time, using a qualitative analysis, a researcher has been able to access some of the undocumented migrant communities living in the city in their own environment and, through face-to-face interviews, to gather their personal narratives about their lives as the “undocumented.” In particular, this research will analyse twelve communities chosen for being the most representative in the city of Jeddah: the African (e.g., Ethiopian, Eritrean, Somali, Sudanese, Chadian, Nigerian, Burkinabe, Ghanaian, and Cameroonian), the Yemeni, and the Filipino and Indonesian ones. Despite sharing the common experience of living as undocumented in the Kingdom, their relationship with the members of their communities, with the other communities and with the Saudi society are as varied as their backgrounds. This study also offers the opportunity of a discussion on the immigration policies adopted by Saudi Arabia and on their failure in tackling the problems of the undocumented migrants on its soil. In this regard, the study ends with recommendations for Saudi policy makers. Due to the sensitivity of the subject, the researcher guaranteed full confidentiality and anonymity to the interviewees from all the communities who accepted to share their experiences with him.