Saudi Arabia Barricades Its Border, U.S.-Style

From a new stone tower overlooking the border with Yemen, Saudi soldiers send out patrols in search of illegal immigrants drawn to the biggest economy in the Arab world. In the past year, dozens of observation posts have gone up along a 1,100-mile stretch in the southern province of Jazan, some positioned on mountain ridges, others just yards from where Yemenis herd goats through sand and brush. Lieutenant General Meladaan al-Meladaan, who’s responsible for protecting 52 miles, says his patrols catch as many as 70 people—from Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia, Bangladesh—trying to sneak into the country each day.

Many more are able to get past the guards, a steady influx of cheap foreign labor that’s made it difficult for some Saudis to find work. Saudi citizens represent only 43 percent of the country’s 10.6 million workers, as 6 million foreigners build oil pipelines, fix cars, and bag groceries. In a report last month, EFG Hermes Holding, citing government data, said that people living in Saudi Arabia illegally may represent 30 percent of the workforce.