Middle East Focus: Trafficking in an Abattoir: Housemaid Prices and a Possible Saudi Revolution, Liberator of Libya ………..

Arabia Deserta

Trafficking in an Abattoir: Housemaid Prices and a Possible Saudi Revolution, Liberator of Libya ………..

Rattlesnake Ridge

BFF

“There have been conflicting reports about the cessation of import of household labor ftom Indonesia. That came after the Indonesian Labor Ministry issued statements about not sending any workers overseas until 2017……...... He said the Indonesian embassy told him that the issue of importing Indonesian housemaids to the kingdom is moving according to a plan, that it is in its final stages……. He said the news about cessation of exports was reflected on the “prices” of housemaids from other countries. He said they have received official letters that these other countries intend to raise the “price” of their household labor by US $ 500. Among these countries are Kenya, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka. He said the high demand for housemaids is too high to be covered by all the combined other states without Indonesia….. Aal Sinbul warned that “prices” of housemaids from these states could rise up to Riyal 15,000, a level never reached by Indonesian housemaid “prices”………….”

Apparently this is a most important issue of concern to the people of the Arabian Peninsula and to their Saudi rulers. With all these weighty issues, it is a wonder the Saudi princes have the time and energy left to tackle other issues of concern. Saudi officials have been visiting various “poorest” countries in Asia (possibly also Africa) seeking to recruit housemaids at cheaper “prices”, as they call them.

One problem with all this is that occasionally the Saudis get in the mood and publicly behead a few of these foreign maids, the last one had her head chopped off a couple of months ago. One 54-year old maid was beheaded last summer, and there are reportedly at least twenty other Indonesian housemaids awaiting execution by beheading in the kingdom. (No word yet from French pop-philosopher and liberator of Libya Bernard-Henri Levy about all this).

I wrote a couple of weeks ago that a stoppage of cheap imported housemaids would probably be the ONLY factor that could ignite a revolution in Saudi Arabia beyond the oppressed and repressed Qatif in the Eastern Province. I was not joking, not really.
Cheers
mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com