RIYADH — Wednesday, May 8, 2025

Dozens of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia have died in gruesome and avoidable workplace incidents as the country accelerates construction for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The report accuses Saudi authorities of systematic neglect, failure to investigate deaths, and denying adequate compensation to bereaved families.

HRW documented fatalities involving falls from buildings, electrocutions, heatstroke, and even decapitations—deaths it says were entirely preventable. The victims, mostly from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, were men aged between 23 and 52, many of whom supported large families back home.

Despite existing occupational safety laws, HRW’s investigation found a persistent failure to enforce safety standards, investigate causes of death, or ensure employer accountability.

“The gruesome workplace accidents killing migrant workers in Saudi Arabia should be a huge red flag for businesses, football fans, and sports associations seeking to partner with FIFA,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at HRW.

“Natural Causes” Misclassification

In numerous cases, fatal workplace injuries were misclassified as “natural causes”, with families often kept in the dark or denied access to full reports. Some employers reportedly delayed repatriating remains or pressured families to agree to burial in Saudi Arabia in exchange for meager financial settlements.

One Bangladeshi family had to borrow over $4,000 to repatriate the body of a loved one after refusing the employer’s offer to bury him in Saudi Arabia. The compensation they eventually received was less than the cost incurred.

Another widow reported waiting 10 years to access death benefits; a separate family waited nearly 15 years.

Kafala System & Worker Exploitation

The findings underscore long-standing criticisms of the kafala (sponsorship) system, under which a worker’s immigration status is tied to their employer. Despite recent reforms allowing job changes without employer consent, millions remain vulnerable to exploitation, forced labour, wage theft, and unsafe conditions.

One harrowing case involved a 48-year-old worker who fell from a fifth-floor elevator shaft when his safety harness malfunctioned. Another was crushed by falling concrete blocks. In an especially disturbing incident, a man was decapitated by a machine that a colleague accidentally restarted during maintenance.

Workers who witnessed such deaths received no trauma support and were often forced back to work the same day.

Heat & Structural Hazards

Despite listing heat-related illness as an occupational hazard, Saudi Arabia has failed to enforce safeguards against extreme temperatures, HRW said. Amnesty International also released a parallel report this week, exposing rape, deception, and unpaid wages faced by Kenyan domestic workers in the kingdom.

These reports come as Saudi Arabia undergoes a massive construction surge, driven by “Vision 2030” giga-projects and preparations for hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup and the Asian Games.

FIFA Under Scrutiny

HRW and other rights groups have condemned FIFA’s decision to award Saudi Arabia the World Cup without mandating enforceable worker protections or basic safety guarantees. FIFA has promised to implement a “workers’ welfare system”, but has provided no specifics on how it will address current abuses or prevent future ones.

“Hundreds of thousands of young men are being pitched into a labour system that poses a serious risk to their lives,” said James Lynch, co-director of FairSquare, another rights watchdog. “While FIFA praises Saudi Arabia to the rafters, children in places like Nepal grow up without their fathers and never even learn how they died.”

The Guardian earlier this year revealed the death of a Pakistani worker at a stadium construction site in Al Khobar, part of a wider pattern of underreported and misclassified fatalities.

HRW cited a 2019 study by a Saudi pathologist that found 75% of death certificates issued in a Riyadh hospital lacked any stated cause of death, further underscoring systemic failures in accountability.

Official Response

Saudi authorities claim workplace deaths have declined and that routine inspections are carried out. However, HRW says these claims are contradicted by ongoing fatalities and poor enforcement. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and FIFA have not responded to HRW’s specific questions about death investigations, safety enforcement, or compensation mechanisms.

As the world watches Saudi Arabia gear up for the 2034 World Cup, human rights organisations warn that, without urgent reform, thousands more workers could die building the infrastructure meant to host the globe’s premier sporting event.