Human Rights Watch (HRW) has issued a stark warning about the potential for migrant worker deaths in Saudi Arabia as the Gulf nation ramps up construction in preparation for hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The rights group says workers face dangerous and often deadly conditions on major building sites across the country.
In a report released on Wednesday, HRW documented nearly 50 cases of migrant worker deaths in Saudi Arabia, attributing many to preventable accidents such as falls from heights, electrocutions, and even decapitations. The organisation accused Saudi authorities of failing to enforce proper safety standards, investigate workplace incidents, or provide adequate compensation and insurance to the families of deceased workers.
“The risks of occupational deaths and injuries are further increasing as the Saudi government accelerates construction for the 2034 World Cup and other ‘giga-projects’,” HRW stated.
Saudi Arabia was officially awarded the rights to host the 2034 tournament at a FIFA Congress in December 2023, despite persistent criticism over its human rights record, treatment of migrant labourers, and criminalisation of same-sex relationships. The kingdom was the sole bidder for the tournament.
HRW urged FIFA to ensure that every work-related death connected to the World Cup is properly investigated and that families of the deceased receive compensation.
FIFA response lacks detail
FIFA has said it plans to establish a worker welfare system in Saudi Arabia, including mandatory standards and enforcement mechanisms for all World Cup-related construction and services. However, HRW criticised the football governing body for failing to provide specifics about how it would prevent deaths or guarantee compensation, such as implementing heat protection protocols or mandating life insurance.
“FIFA is knowingly risking yet another tournament that will unnecessarily come at a grave human cost,” the NGO warned, drawing parallels to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. That tournament faced global scrutiny over the treatment of migrant workers, with rights groups alleging thousands of deaths — although Qatari authorities maintained that only 37 workers involved in World Cup projects had died, just three of them due to work-related incidents.
According to HRW, most migrant worker deaths in Saudi Arabia are officially listed as due to “natural causes” and are not subject to investigation or compensation. For example, the Indian embassy in Riyadh recorded 1,420 Indian migrant worker deaths in 2023, with 74 percent attributed to natural causes.
Even when deaths are classified as work-related, HRW said families often struggle to receive the compensation they are entitled to under Saudi law and international labour standards. The process is frequently “long and burdensome”, with some families waiting years for closure.
One widow, interviewed anonymously by HRW, described the toll of the delay: “My sons are 11 and 13 years old. When my husband died, they were 11 months and two years old. If we had received compensation right after his death, it would have provided so much relief.”
AFP said it had contacted both FIFA and the Saudi government for comment, but neither had responded at the time of publication.