Najeeb Muhammed

Najeeb Muhammad (born c. 1970) is an Indian public figure from Kerala. He gained international recognition as the real-life subject of Malayalam novel Aadujeevitham and its 2024 film adaptation The Goat Life. His ordeal as an enslaved laborer in the Saudi Arabian desert has become a prominent narrative in the discourse on migrant labor rights and the Kafala system in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. In 2024, he was designated as a district-level icon by the Election Commission of India for the Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) program in Alappuzha district.

Early life and migration Najeeb Muhammad was born in Arattupuzha, a coastal village in the Alappuzha district of Kerala. Before migrating, he worked as a sand miner in the Arattupuzha river. In 1992, seeking a better livelihood to support his family and his then-pregnant wife Sabiyath, he sought employment in Saudi Arabia.

Enslavement and escape (1992–1995) Upon his arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in April 1992, Muhammad was intercepted by an individual posing as his employer (kafeel). He was transported to a remote location in the desert and forced into enslaved labor as a goatherd.

In 1995, Muhammad managed to escape the farm during the temporary absence of his captor. After wandering through the desert for over a day, he reached a highway and was eventually assisted by a traveler who drove him to Riyadh. Following a period of incarceration at Sumesi Prison (Inmate No. 13858), he was deported to India on August 13, 1995. He left the job in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to his native village, Arattupuzha, where he started employment as a fisherman.

Muhammad's narrative has been cited by rights groups highlighting the conditions of migrant workers in the region.