It is now going on for five years since the takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi Public Investment Fund and since then North East Bylines has been regularly documenting what life is like in that Middle Eastern kingdom and what has happened there since that takeover in October 2021. There are some who would claim that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a place where human rights are not respected and that the regime is a murderous regime, which starts illegal wars and responsible for many human rights abuses. But is all that really true? Let’s see what has been happening and look at the hard evidence. How has Saudi Arabia been reported in recent weeks?
Parts I-34 of this survey have covered the period from 7 October 2021 to the end of June this year. So, what has been happening regarding Saudi Arabia in July 2026?’
Detained for social media posts
It was reported in early July that anybody visiting Saudi Arabia, including for family reasons or the Hajj and Ummah pilgrimages., were at risk of being detained by the authorities because of their social media activity. This could then lead to unfair trials and lengthy prison sentences.
It was further reported that ” Amnesty International and ALQST have documented the cases of nine people, predominantly from Global South and Middle Eastern countries of origin, who were arrested in Saudi Arabia during visits between July 2022 and late 2025 for their social media posts. Four of the nine were visiting for Hajj or Umrah; the other five for tourism or family trips.”.
Some visitors have been detained by the Saudi regime, while entering and others while attempting to exit the country. They were then interrogated about their social media posts.
Bissan Fakih, Middle East and North Africa campaigner at Amnesty International commented: “As Saudi Arabia positions itself as an international tourism destination and invests heavily in tourism as part of its Vision 2030 plan, it is simultaneously arresting and sentencing visitors to the Kingdom to lengthy prison terms simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression. Individuals travelling to Saudi Arabia to undertake once-in-a-lifetime religious pilgrimage journeys or to visit their loved ones are suddenly thrust into a nightmare scenario – without warning – torn apart from their families and all of this just for social media posts.”
Carney criticised
On 3 July, it was reported that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman next week. However, federal officials would not say whether the prime minister was planning to raise human rights concerns during the visit.
At a background briefing ahead of the trip, officials would only mention Carney’s past comments on the issue.
“The Prime Minister has been clear that we must be able to address these areas of disagreement without destabilizing opportunities for co-operation,” one official said. “He’s been clear that engagement does not equal endorsement.”
On 13 July it was reported that the son of an imprisoned Saudi dissident said that he felt let down by Mark Carney as the Canadian prime Minister would not reveal if he had raised the plight of Raif Badawi in meetings..
Tirad Badawi, son of Raif Badawi commented: “I was very disappointed. In all honesty, I think everyone was expecting more – not just us, our family, but everyone. Canadians want their prime minister to raise the issue of human rights even more.”.
Abuse of domestic workers
On 9 July it was reported by Amnesty International documented that 12 months after they had issued a report detailing widespread abuse of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, it had now brought out a new briefing documenting the experiences of Filipino women who are having to deal with many of the same abuses, including being exploited, overworked, exploited and subjected to degrading treatment. There have also been cases of sexual assault.
The report details a number of harrowing individual stories.
Amnesty International’s Director of Climate, Economic and Social Justice, and Corporate Accountability, Marta Schaaf, commented:
“These stories are not isolated cases. The harrowing testimonies paint a worrying picture of ongoing state-enabled exploitation in a country with over four million domestic workers…
“…Taking a job should not mean domestic workers are entering a lottery, where their rights, safety and freedom are left to chance.
“We are calling on the Saudi Arabian government to immediately investigate all allegations of abuse, including sexual violence, and bring perpetrators to justice, implement effective inspections, and fully dismantle the kafala sponsorship system. The Philippines and other states sending workers abroad also have an obligation to protect their nationals from human rights abuses.”
Arbitrary assault on online expression
Another blow to human rights in Saudi Arabia was reported on 21 July, when it was announced by ALQST that “in an arbitrary assault on freedom of expression online, X has complied with a request from the Saudi authorities to restrict our accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, in a form of geo-blocking”
Then on 28 July, Human Rights Watch reported that five Ethiopian nationals had been executed the previous day by the Saudi regime for what was described as nonlethal drug-related offences. It was further noted that they had been executed “without due process” and that at least 17 Ethiopian nationals had now been executed on drug-related charges, since the beginning of the year.
It was also noted that “at least 79 more remain at imminent risk of execution on similar charges. Saudi authorities have executed at least 116 people in 2026 as of July 27, according to the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights”.
Ailing Briton in Saudi jail
On 30 July it was reported that the wife of British-business analyst Ahmed Al-Doush, who comes from Manchester, had appealed for his release from a Saudi jail as he is very ill. It was further noted that Al-Doush had been visiting Nour’s brother with this family and was returning home with his pregnant wife and three children when he was arrested at Riyadh airport.
Al-Doush’s wife Nour told the BBC: “[Our children] ask about their dad all the time, I tell them that he’s away working because I don’t want to say that he’s in prison, as they’re old enough to know that prison is a place where you go if you’ve done something bad. And he’s done nothing wrong.”
Nour knows that the 44-year-old – from the phone calls he is allowed that he is struggling mentally, although she doesn’t know exactly where he Is being held.
Al-Doush is yet to meet his youngest child. Nour also commented: “His voice is often unrecognisable, he is fatigued and confused why the British government aren’t doing more to get him home safely. He has been on multiple hunger strikes and we have often been kept in the dark about this.”
July has proved to be another month of suffering and hardship for many innocent people in Saudi Arabia. Shouldn’t we remember them and try to help them?
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