A 23-year-old Indian man has appealed to the authorities in his home country to rescue him from what he described as a life of modern slavery in the Saudi desert.

Dasari Aravind said in a video message released on Saturday that he had travelled to Saudi Arabia on a work visa after being promised a job as a packing worker in a factory. However, upon arrival, he claimed he was sent to a remote desert area, in clear breach of the terms of his employment contract.

“I am living the life of a goat in Saudi Arabia,” Aravind said, pleading to be returned to India.

According to his account, he has been left without adequate food, water, wages or proper accommodation. His testimony highlights a disturbing case of migrant labour exploitation in Saudi Arabia, where deceptive recruitment practices, contract substitution and employer control can leave vulnerable workers trapped in conditions resembling forced labour.

Human rights advocates have long criticised Saudi Arabia’s labour system for enabling severe exploitation of migrant workers, particularly those from poorer Asian countries who arrive with limited protections and often depend entirely on their employers for legal status, income and shelter.

Aravind’s appeal is not merely a personal cry for help. It is a reminder that behind the language of “economic opportunity” lies a darker reality for many migrant workers in Saudi Arabia: isolation, coercion and the denial of basic human dignity.

Indian authorities have been urged to intervene urgently and secure his safe return home.