The government prohibits the public practice of other religions, and conversion is punishable by death. The Shi ite minority, concentrated in the eastern province, is subjected to officially sanctioned political and economic discrimination. Christians are arrested, flogged, or otherwise harassed. Mutawwai in, or officers with the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, harass women for violating conservative dress codes and for appearing in public with unrelated males. A woman may not travel domestically or abroad without being accompanied by a male.
African nationals practice female genital mutilation in some areas.
Foreign-born domestic workers are subject to abuse, work long hours, and are sometimes denied wages. The court system discriminates against African and Asian workers, and employers generally hold the passports of foreign employees as leverage in resolving business disputes or as a means of forcing employees to do extra work. Foreign workers constitute two-thirds of those executed in the kingdom. The government prohibits trade unions, collective bargaining, and strikes. There are no publicly active human rights groups, and the government prohibits visits by international human rights groups and independent monitors.