'I will die': Distressed Indian man’s SOS video from Saudi Arabia goes viral; Indian embassy launches search

The video surfaced just as Saudi Arabia announced the abolition of its decades-old Kafala system, which gave employers control over foreign workers’ visas — a practice critics likened to modern-day slavery.

The video, shared by a Delhi-based lawyer, shows the man speaking in Bhojpuri, visibly shaken and in tears.

In the image, the man, his head wrapped in a scarf typically worn by Arab men, appears to be in a desert with a camel in the background.

He alleges that his sponsor, or kafeel, confiscated his passport and threatened to kill him when he expressed a desire to return home.

"External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, please take immediate cognisance. A resident of Handia, Pratappur in Prayagraj, is stranded in Saudi Arabia," the lawyer wrote while sharing the video on X (formerly Twitter).

In the clip, the man pleads for help, saying, "My village is in Allahabad... I came to Saudi Arabia. Kapil has my passport. I told him I need to go home, but he is threatening to kill me."

Breaking down in the video, he appeals to people to share his message widely so that it reaches Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Share this video, share it so much that, with your support from India, I can get help and come back to India. If you are from Muslim, Hindu or anyone – brother, wherever you are – please help. Please help me, I will die. I need to go to my mother... Share this video so much that it should reach up to the Prime Minister," he says.

As the video gained traction online, the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed that it was attempting to track him down. "The embassy has been trying to locate the person. No further action can be taken as the video does not contain any details about the location/province in Saudi Arabia, or contact number or employer details," it said in a post on X.

However, Saudi authorities later dismissed the man’s claims.

The country’s Eastern Region Police said the video was fabricated to gain online attention.

"Eastern Region Police clarifies: The claim by an expatriate in a video expressing a desire to return to his home country is baseless. It was documented and published for the purpose of increasing the number of views of his account on one of the social media platforms," the statement read.

What is the Kafala system

The controversy comes at a time when Saudi Arabia has officially scrapped the Kafala system, signalling a significant step forward for migrant worker rights.

The long-standing system allowed employers — known as kafeels — to exercise control over workers’ ability to change jobs or leave the country, often leading to abuse, exploitation, and human rights violations, particularly among migrants from India and Southeast Asia.