Saudi HRC recommends special law criminalizing all forms of racial discrimination

RIYADH — The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has recommended the enactment of a law criminalizing racial discrimination.

This will be the culmination of the provisions of Saudi laws prohibiting the practice of all forms of discrimination, as well as promoting culture of tolerance, respect for human rights and preserving national cohesion, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The Commission emphasized that the Islamic Shariah made it mandatory that justice and equality shall be the guiding principle in all rights and duties of people.

The State has also given the issue of racial discrimination the necessary consideration through the enactment of many regulations and legislation.

Article 8 of the Basic Law of Governance stipulates that the “Governance in Saudi Arabia is based on justice, consultation and equality in accordance with the Islamic Shariah.”

Article 47 of the law guarantees equality before the judiciary for all without any discrimination, and that reads: “The right of litigation is guaranteed equally to citizens and expatriates in the Kingdom.”

Article 1 of the Civil Service Law stipulates that “merit is the basis for choosing employees to hold public offices”, and Article 3 of the Labor Law stipulates that citizens are equal in the right to work.

The Commission stressed that the enactment of such a law will culminate in the measures taken to combat racial discrimination.

With the Kingdom’s accession to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, it has become an integral part of the Saudi laws and it enjoys the same legal authority as that of the Kingdom’s laws.