Saudi Arabia

Executive summary

Since 2013, Cuba's medical mission to Saudi Arabia has operated continuously under the "Programa del Médico Visitante," now sustained by a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding, with roughly 430 personnel deployed across Jizan, Riyadh, and southern regions bordering Yemen. Official Cuban statistics reveal inconsistencies, with UCCM yearbooks reporting fluctuating figures (21, 189, 637 professionals) that independent testimonies suggest obscure forced quotas and altered medical records. Documented labour violations include passport confiscation, unpaid vacations, contractual obligations to remit over 80% of earnings, and threats of judicial retaliation for non-compliance. Political subjugation is also recorded, including mandatory proselytism and ideological surveillance. These are not volunteers—they are indentured professionals working under the shadow of the desert.

Mission data

Research profile