He's merely saying the rules are the same. The higher skilled worker can afford not to live with 16 other people. I don't know about the passport, but in countries like Saudi Arabia: Yes - they do/did take your passport away, regardless of whether you're a lowly worker or an executive at a company. There's a process you have to go through to get the passport back so you can travel.
Even if they let you keep your passport, you still need an exit visa to leave. I've known wealthy upper class people to get stuck in the country for a bit because they had a dispute with their employer and the latter then refused to sign the paperwork so he could get an exit visa.