By Human Rights Press Staff | May 16, 2025
Human rights organizations are raising alarms over a spike in migrant construction worker deaths in Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom accelerates major infrastructure projects for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Reports by Human Rights Watch and FairSquare reveal that many worker deaths are caused by preventable accidents and extreme heat but are often misclassified as natural causes. Families are left without compensation or answers due to a lack of investigations and autopsies.
- Saudi Arabia plans to build 11 new stadiums, a transit network, and over 185,000 hotel rooms.
- Interviews with families of deceased workers from South Asia detail fatal falls, electrocutions, and machinery accidents.
- Labour unions remain banned, and rights groups face restricted access in the country.
- Despite FIFA’s stated commitment to human rights, critics accuse the body of failing to learn from the abuses seen during Qatar’s 2022 World Cup.
“The 2034 Saudi World Cup could have the highest cost in human lives,” said Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch.
“FIFA’s human rights policies are a sham,” added FairSquare’s James Lynch, criticizing the lack of transparency and accountability.
“These are the result of systematic negligence,” said Ambet Yuson of the global construction workers’ union BWI.
Human Rights Watch is calling for proper investigations into all worker deaths and fair compensation for affected families. FIFA says it will implement a welfare system but has not shared specific enforcement details.
