Thousands of migrant workers could lose their lives in Saudi Arabia due to an unprecedented construction boom driven by preparations for the 2034 World Cup and other massive infrastructure projects, human rights organisations have warned.
The Gulf state has seen a sharp increase in the demand for low-cost foreign labour since 2021, as it accelerates development for the World Cup and other ventures such as the ambitious Neom megacity. The influx of migrant workers has raised serious concerns about labour conditions and safety.
Two new reports released today warn that many workers face life-threatening conditions. Advocates have also condemned the lack of clarity and accountability around migrant worker fatalities. “Hundreds of thousands of young men are being thrust into a labour system that endangers their lives,” said James Lynch, co-director of FairSquare, which authored one of the reports.
“While Fifa heaps praise on Saudi Arabia,” Lynch added, “children in countries like Nepal are growing up fatherless, never knowing how or why their loved ones died.”
In a separate report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) sharply criticised Fifa, accusing it of knowingly putting lives at risk by supporting a tournament that could again lead to preventable deaths.
Earlier this year, The Guardian reported that a Pakistani worker died after falling from a stadium under construction in the eastern city of Al Khobar, intended for the World Cup.
HRW’s findings included a grim list of fatalities caused by “gruesome but preventable workplace accidents” such as electrocution, falls, and even decapitation. These tragedies have left families both heartbroken and financially destitute. Although Saudi law mandates compensation through a state insurance system or directly from employers, HRW described the process as “long and burdensome,” citing numerous instances where families received little or no financial support.
Saudi authorities claim that work-related injuries and fatalities have declined sharply in recent years.
However, human rights groups such as FairSquare remain concerned, pointing to “serious deficiencies” in how migrant worker deaths are investigated and recorded in the kingdom. Many of these deaths, the group argues, are likely tied—directly or indirectly—to poor working and living conditions, yet are often labeled as “natural causes,” a term that obscures the true circumstances. In its report, FairSquare stated: “It appears Saudi authorities use ‘natural’ as a catch-all classification for any death not caused by workplace incidents, traffic accidents, or other violent events.”
This suspicion is reinforced by a 2019 study from a Saudi pathologist who reviewed death certificates issued by a Riyadh hospital between 1997 and 2016. The study found that every certificate examined either listed an incorrect cause of death or failed to include one entirely. In 75% of cases, no cause of death was provided at all.
When contacted by The Guardian, Fifa shared a letter it had previously sent to Human Rights Watch. In the letter, Fifa stated: “Fifa is committed to contributing to strong protections for workers employed by third-party contractors on World Cup construction sites. This involves close cooperation with Saudi authorities and engagement with key international labour bodies. We believe the measures currently in place have the potential to establish a new benchmark for worker protection.”
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development was contacted for a response.
