Tension over Saudi worker curbs

30 June 2011 Last updated at 06:08 GMT The execution of an Indonesian maid sparked protests earlier this month Saudi Arabia has said it will stop issuing permits for workers from Indonesia and the Philippines.

Riyadh said it was responding to new guidelines issued by the two Asian countries, which have long demanded better protection for their citizens.

Earlier this month Jakarta announced a moratorium on its nationals working in Saudi Arabia after an Indonesian maid was executed for murder.

More than two million Filipinos and Indonesians work in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi labour ministry said in a statement that the new rules would come into effect on Saturday.

The statement added: "The ministry's decision coincides with its great efforts to open new channels to bring domestic workers from other sources."

The Indonesian labour ministry played down the effect of the ban, saying Jakarta's moratorium on sending maids is due to come into effect on 1 August.

In the meantime, the ministry said about 10,000 Indonesians had visas and would be going to Saudi Arabia.

The execution of an Indonesian maid in Saudi Arabia by beheading earlier this month sparked emotional protests, and criticism of the government for failing to prevent it.

Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the execution of Ruyati Binti Sapubi went against the "norms and manners" of international relations.

The BBC's Kate McGeown in Manila says the Philippines has argued for months that the Saudis need to increase the minimum wage for maids, and give a guarantee of humane working conditions.

Rights groups say maids are often mistreated in Gulf states, and there are few labour laws to protect them.

But the Gulf governments deny the claims, and highlight the fact that they recently signed up to the International Labour Organisation's convention on domestic workers.

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Saudi in Indonesia beheading row

21 June 2011 Last updated at 12:49 GMT Protesters gathered outside the Saudi embassy in Jakarta Indonesian MPs have called for a ban on workers being sent to the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia executed a maid without informing Jakarta.

Indonesia has recalled its ambassador to Riyadh to express its anger.

A crowd of protesters gathered outside the Saudi embassy in Jakarta displaying banners and T-shirts in support of the executed worker.

The maid, Ruyati binti Sapubi, was beheaded with a sword on Saturday after confessing to murdering her boss.

Indonesian media reports said she attacked her boss with a meat cleaver after being denied permission to return home.

About 1.5 million Indonesians work in Saudi Arabia - many of them as domestic maids.

Anger has been growing in recent years over the treatment of migrant workers - particularly maids, who often complain of mistreatment.

'Obligations ignored'

Parliamentary speaker Priyo Budi Santoso said MPs had told the government they must stop sending workers to the Middle East.

"We have asked the government to temporarily suspend sending Indonesian workers overseas, especially countries which refuse to sign an agreement which protects our workers' rights," he said.

Some MPs also called for the resignation of senior government figures including Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

Mr Marty addressed parliament on Monday, telling them that Saudi Arabia had a history of executing people without giving proper notification.

"It is regrettable that Saudi Arabia has repeatedly ignored its international obligation to inform related countries about consular affairs their nationals are facing," he said.

Indonesia's ambassador to Riyadh was recalled on Monday for consultations, and officials said they had lodged a strong protest with the Saudi authorities.

Meanwhile, a group of about 50 people gathered outside to the Saudi embassy in Jakarta on Tuesday.

They wore T-shirts emblazoned with "corrupt government, workers are beheaded" and carried banners proclaiming: "Our hearts for Ruyati."

Indonesia only recently resumed sending workers to Malaysia, after a row over the abuse of maids led to a two-year suspension in the practice.

A row erupted also in April when a Saudi woman, convicted of beating and torturing an Indonesian maid, had her conviction quashed on appeal.

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Saudi women drivers stage protest

17 June 2011 Last updated at 12:58 GMT Saudi woman explains why she breaks the driving ban

Women in Saudi Arabia have been openly driving cars in defiance of an official ban on female drivers in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

The direct action has been organised on social network sites, where women have been posting images and videos of themselves behind the wheel.

The Women2Drive Facebook page said the direct action would continue until a royal decree reversed the ban.

Last month, a woman was arrested after uploading a video of herself driving.

Manal al-Sherif was accused of "besmirching the kingdom's reputation abroad and stirring up public opinion", but was released after 10 days having promised not to drive again.

Campaigners have not called for a mass protest - which would be illegal - but have asked women who have foreign driving licences to drive themselves as they go about their daily life.

"All that we need is to run our errands without depending on drivers," said one woman in the first film posted in the early hours of Friday morning.

The film showed the unnamed woman talking as she drove to a supermarket and parking.

"It is not out of love for driving or traffic or the experience. All this is about is that if I wanted to go to work, I can go. If I needed something I can go and get it.

"I think that society is ready to welcome us."

Another protester said she drove around the streets of Riyadh for 45 minutes "to make a point".

"I took it directly to the streets of the capital," said Maha al-Qahtani, a computer specialist at the Ministry of Education.

Religious fatwa

On Twitter, Mrs Qahtani described the route she had taken around the city with her husband, saying: "I decided that the car for today is mine."

Her husband said she was carrying her essential belongings with her and was "ready to go to prison without fear", AFP news agency reported.

One woman who asked not to be named told the BBC driving was often considered to be "something really minor".

The ban is one of a number of restrictions Saudi women face in daily life

"It's not one of your major rights. But we tell them that even if you give us all the basic and big rights, that you are claiming are more important than driving, we can't enjoy practising those rights because the mobility is not there.

"We can't move around without a male."

The motoring ban is not enforced by law, but is a religious fatwa imposed by conservative Muslim clerics. It is one of a number of severe restrictions on women in the country.

Supporters of the ban say it protects women and relieves them of the obligation to drive, while also preventing them from leaving home unescorted or travelling with an unrelated male.

But the men and women behind the campaign - emboldened by uprisings across the Middle East and Arab world - say they hope the ban will be lifted and that other reforms will follow.

Amnesty International has said the Saudi authorities "must stop treating women as second-class citizens", describing the ban as "an immense barrier to their freedom of movement".

The last mass protest against the ban took place in 1990, when a group of 47 women were arrested for driving and severely punished - many subsequently lost their jobs.

The women were angered that female US soldiers based in the kingdom could drive freely while they could not.

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Saudi citizen killed in Karachi

16 May 2011 Last updated at 12:10 GMT Officials said the car was attacked about 1km (half a mile) from the consulate Gunmen opened fire on a car belonging to the Saudi consulate in Karachi, killing a Saudi citizen, police said.

Hassan al-Qahtani, a consulate employee, was attacked in the wealthy and normally peaceful Defence district.

The attack comes two days after grenades were thrown at the consulate building, causing no injuries.

No group has said it carried out the attack, but al-Qaeda is known to be violently opposed to the Saudi government.

The group has vowed to avenge the death of its Saudi-born leader Osama Bin Laden, who was killed in a US raid in Pakistan earlier this month. Saudi Arabia stripped the al-Qaeda leader of citizenship years ago.

A Taliban spokesman told the BBC that while they did not carry out this attack, they supported whoever did.

A Saudi official told the AFP news agency that the attack took place about 1km (half a mile) from the consular building.

"At least six bullets were fired in the attack," Deputy Inspector General of Police Iqbal Mahmood told reporters.

"There were four men on two motorbikes and they stopped the vehicle before opening fire," he said.

Saudi ambassador Abdul Aziz al-Ghadeer condemned the attack. "No-one who carries out this kind of attack can be a Muslim," he told the Reuters news agency.

The southern port city of Karachi has seen an increase in violence in recent years. There have been Taliban attacks on the city and ethnically-based political and sectarian killings are common too.

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