Relationship dossier
Philippines
Saudi Arabia
Relationship assessment
Labor cooperation is substantial, alongside recurring concerns over Filipino workers’ rights and protection.
Philippines toward Saudi Arabia
+35The Philippine government has negotiated bilateral arrangements with Saudi Arabia on the employment of Filipino domestic workers and has pursued labor and consular protections for Filipinos working there.
Saudi Arabia toward Philippines
+35The Saudi government has entered bilateral arrangements with the Philippines governing the employment of Filipino domestic workers, providing a framework for managing a major area of bilateral cooperation.
Overall relationship
+35Bilateral ties are shaped by sustained labor cooperation and the presence of many Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia. Agreements on domestic-worker employment provide an enduring cooperative framework, but disputes over worker protections and the execution of a Filipino national have strained relations.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The relationship combines sustained labor and consular cooperation with recurring concerns over the treatment and legal protection of Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia. Bilateral agreements on Filipino domestic workers provide a concrete framework for cooperation, while labor disputes and the execution of a Filipino national have been sources of tension.
Areas of tension
- Concerns over abuse, unpaid wages, and other labor protections affecting Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia.
- The 2011 execution of a Filipino national in Saudi Arabia, despite Philippine appeals.
Key developments
The Philippines and Saudi Arabia concluded a bilateral agreement concerning the employment of Filipino domestic workers.
Saudi Arabia executed a Filipino national after Philippine appeals, causing bilateral tension.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral labor protections are unclear.
- The extent of recent cooperation on consular and labor issues is unclear.