Saudi Arabia has long been one of the most dangerous countries in the world for migrant workers. Women from East Africa who come to the kingdom to work as cleaners and nannies often face sexual abuse, confinement, and life-threatening conditions. But exploitation extends far beyond domestic labor.
Since preparations began for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, millions of men working on stadiums, hotels, and infrastructure projects have found themselves at risk. New data from Human Rights Watch and FairSquare point to rising migrant worker deaths and systemic violations of safety standards. Most tragedies are recorded as "natural deaths," allowing authorities to avoid investigations and compensation. This report explores the true cost behind Saudi Arabia’s effort to burnish its global image through sport.
Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup—a tournament expected to be the largest and most expensive in the organization’s history. But alongside these ambitious sporting plans, concerns are mounting over the conditions faced by millions of migrant workers building the required infrastructure. New reports from Human Rights Watch and FairSquare document numerous worker deaths on construction sites—under circumstances that experts say were preventable.
Both organizations emphasize that in many cases, the cause of death is officially recorded as "natural," which precludes investigation and denies families the right to compensation. According to FairSquare, forensic autopsies are rarely performed. "Hundreds of thousands of young men—many of them fathers to small children—are being pulled into a labor system that poses a direct threat to their lives," says James Lynch, co-director of FairSquare. Yet, he adds, Saudi Arabia’s medical and political institutions show little willingness to protect these workers or determine the causes of their deaths.
Human rights advocates stress that the scale of construction is unprecedented: plans include building eleven new stadiums, expanding the transport network, and constructing an estimated 185,000 hotel rooms. According to Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch, this scale is directly linked to heightened risk. "The 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia will be the biggest ever. But it may also come with a record number of worker fatalities," she notes.
Workers in Saudi Arabia.
The release of the reports coincided with FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s visit to Riyadh. He arrived in the kingdom alongside Donald Trump to attend an investment forum where economic initiatives—including those related to World Cup preparations—were discussed.
FIFA has declared its "unwavering commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights in all its activities." However, according to Human Rights Watch, the organization has failed to learn from past mistakes in Qatar, where preparations for the 2022 tournament were marred by the deaths of dozens of migrant workers. The absence of accountability mechanisms and weak oversight of contractors drew widespread international criticism.
There is no reliable data on the number of deaths in Saudi Arabia: independent monitoring is hampered by the ban on labor unions and restrictions on the work of human rights organizations. Nonetheless, as part of its report, Human Rights Watch gathered testimonies from the families of 31 deceased workers from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Documented causes of death include falls from height, electrocution, and accidents involving heavy machinery. Researchers believe some of these fatalities could have been prevented with basic safety standards in place.
Heat exposure has become a growing concern: as construction accelerates, the risk of heat-related illness is becoming increasingly serious. Many sites are being built under extreme temperatures, often without adequate protection against heatstroke.
In March, the first death directly linked to World Cup preparations was reported. In the eastern city of Al Khobar, Pakistani foreman Muhammad Arshad died after falling from a height at a stadium construction site.
In response to these reports, Saudi authorities have emphasized that progress has been made in occupational safety. According to official data, construction-related deaths and accidents are on the decline. FIFA has also highlighted the "significant steps" taken by Riyadh since 2018 as part of its labor reform efforts.
Migrant workers at a construction site near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. March 2, 2024.
However, trade unions and independent observers question the effectiveness of these reforms. The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) reports a continued rise in accidents that could have been prevented. BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson attributes this to "systemic negligence, corruption, and a lack of effective oversight."
In response to the criticism, FIFA announced plans to establish a worker protection mechanism in Saudi Arabia that would include mandatory standards and enforcement procedures—not only for World Cup-related construction, but also for the delivery of supporting services. In a letter to Human Rights Watch, the organization stated: "We are convinced that the measures implemented to ensure respect for workers’ rights on World Cup sites can set a new benchmark in the country and contribute to broader labor reforms—both on construction sites and beyond."
Nevertheless, representatives of Human Rights Watch point out the lack of detail. No information has been released about the contents of the proposed system, its legal foundations, or monitoring tools.
"If this is to be a genuine protection system, it must include transparent accountability mechanisms, thorough investigation of every worker’s death, and guarantees of fair compensation for the families," the statement from rights advocates reads.
According to James Lynch of FairSquare, the issue extends far beyond the construction sector. He describes FIFA’s human rights policy as "a fiction," emphasizing that behind its public commitments lies a lack of concrete action.
"While FIFA showers praise on Saudi Arabia and Western law firms collect astronomical fees to burnish its reputation, children in Nepal are growing up without fathers—and will never know how or why they died," he added.
Working to Death
