Riyadh  - Saudi Arabia vowed to end violations of human rights of foreign domestic workers, a labour official said in remarks published Wednesday, a day after a report revealed that thousands endure beatings and other abuses.

The Undersecretary at the Saudi Labour Ministry Ahmed al-Zamil was quoted by the Dubai-based Gulf News as saying the kingdom would enforce stringent measures to prevent mistreatment of domestic workers.

Employers abusing their maids would face imprisonment, he said.

A report by the New York-based Human Rights Watch said Tuesday thousands of domestic workers in Saudi Arabia experienced beatings and starvation and rather than receive justice face instead accusations of theft, adultery and witchcraft.

An estimated 1.5 million foreign domestic helpers work in Saudi Arabia, the majority from Asia. As many as half of those come from Indonesia, according to the report.

Many domestic workers are denied their wages and some have worked under slavery-like conditions, the report said.

The Saudi official dismissed the report, saying it "lacks credibility, which should be an essential component of such work." (dpa)