Saudi labour costs no laughing matter- Renzi's comment about Riyadh's labour costs also did not appear to go down well.
"The joke about labour in Saudi Arabia is serious," journalist Laura Cappon wrote on Twitter, before explaining how the controversial kafala system is used in the kingdom to bring down labour costs.
The kafala system ties migrant workers to one sponsor, whose permission they need to change jobs, open a bank account, or leave the country.