Despite a decade of social transformation, unwed pregnancy is still a taboo in saudi arabia, and legally ambiguous. Abandon their children to return home or remain in saudi arabia under increasingly difficult circumstances Unmarried mothers often face pressure to conceal their pregnancies, leading many to give birth in private clinics or even abroad
When they return to saudi arabia, the lack of official documentation becomes a barrier that immigration officials enforce rigorously
Even when a mother secures a visa for herself, the child’s status remains ambiguous.
We pieced together the details, from riyadh to nairobi.| nyt > world > middle east Mothers from the us, canada, the uk and other western countries, are fighting to get their children out of saudi arabia after marriage breakdowns to saudi nationals. An investigation by the guardian has revealed that kenyan women who once worked as domestic helpers in saudi arabia are unable to leave the country, as their children, born outside marriage, are. Why children of unmarried mothers are stranded in saudi arabia published 10 nov 2025
Their mothers confront an impossible choice
