Human Trafficking in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries]
Street Children in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries]
 

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia extends over most of the Arabian peninsula [map] and is bounded by the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea (W); by the Persian Gulf, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (E); by Yemen and Oman (S); and by Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait (N). Riyadh is its capital and largest city. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. Roughly five and a half million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. Priorities for government spending in the short term include additional funds for education and for the water and sewage systems. Economic reforms proceed cautiously because of deep-rooted political and social conservatism.

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Saudi Arabia. Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated, misleading or even false. No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

Quick Search for Missing Children - Select Gender, Country (Saudi Arabia), & Years Missing

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005

WOMEN - Prostitution is illegal. Some women, primarily non-citizens, engaged in prostitution. The extent of prostitution was not known.

CHILDREN - The figures excluded female children and accusations of sexual abuse, as the ministry stated that the issues were too sensitive for public discussion.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2001

[43] The Committee encourages the State party to ratify and implement the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

Saudi Non-Profit Organization to Tackle Child Trafficking in the Middle East

Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat - A Saudi charity, in collaboration with UNICEF, plans to carry out a groundbreaking study on the exploitation and trafficking of children.

ECPAT: Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for Action [DOC]

6.1 MIDDLE EAST [A] THE IMPACT OF THE STOCKHOLM AGENDA FOR ACTION ON WORK AGAINST THE COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN – Some NGOs and government sources from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Kuwait confirm that they are not familiar with the Stockholm Agenda for Action. However, the ILO in Saudi Arabia, the government of Qatar as well as the NGO Women’s Forum for Research and Training in Yemen and the Human Rights Division in Kuwait, have all shown a genuine interest in the Agenda and are studying research and surveys on commercial sexual exploitation of children with the aim of addressing the issue.

5.1 Middle East - State of CSEC/ Attitudes toward CSEC [PDF]

In the wealthy oil producing states, (e.g. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman etc), foreigners are often the unfortunate victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The financial ability to contribute to CSEC, the lack of legal protection measures for foreign children, and the low status of foreigners in society, contributes to CSEC. Additionally, the high numbers of male foreign workers in these countries create a large demand for prostitution.

Commercial sexual exploitation of children - Middle East/North Africa region

These countries also have in common, however, a number of constraints that have hindered preparation of national plans of action. In all the countries of the region, there is cultural resistance to addressing the problem because the subject is largely taboo. Often the issue is dealt with more generally under headings such as ‘violence’ and ‘trauma’. This means that there has been no regional consensus on defining CSEC in law; in some countries, for example, it is looked upon as an indecent act, in others as rape, although in all 20 countries there is some section of the penal code that can be invoked against sexual abuse and exploitation.

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Human Trafficking in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries]
Street Children in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries]