A growing number of migrant construction workers are reportedly dying in Saudi Arabia as the country intensifies its building efforts for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Human rights organizations are sounding the alarm over what they describe as a surge in preventable deaths, raising new questions about worker safety and accountability on the ground.
Human Rights Watch and FairSquare released separate reports warning that migrant laborers—primarily from countries like Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan—are being exposed to unsafe work conditions as Saudi Arabia pushes forward with ambitious infrastructure projects. These include plans for 11 new stadiums, a sprawling transportation network, and nearly 200,000 hotel rooms. While the projects aim to make the 2034 World Cup the biggest and most luxurious in history, advocates fear the human cost may be just as significant.
Despite official claims of progress in worker protection, human rights groups say the reality on the ground tells a different story. Workers are reportedly dying in incidents such as falls from high places, electrocution, or being crushed by heavy equipment. Families of the deceased are often left without answers or compensation, as many deaths are labeled as “natural causes” without thorough medical investigation.
The reports follow a high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump, who attended a U.S.-Saudi investment forum earlier this week. While FIFA maintains it is committed to human rights, critics say the organization has failed to apply meaningful pressure to protect workers, despite past controversies during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
One of the most serious concerns is the Saudi government’s handling of heat exposure, especially as temperatures soar during peak construction periods. Workers continue to labor under extreme heat without sufficient safeguards. Human Rights Watch interviewed dozens of families of deceased workers and found a pattern of poor medical infrastructure, lack of autopsies, and a system that offers little transparency or accountability.
The first reported World Cup-related fatality came in March, when a Pakistani foreman fell from a stadium construction site in Al Khobar. Since then, global labor groups, including the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), have raised concerns over what they call “systemic negligence.” BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson criticized Saudi Arabia for insufficient oversight and accused authorities of allowing corruption and carelessness to endanger lives.
Saudi officials, for their part, say they’ve made “tangible achievements” in workplace safety. FIFA also cited what it called “significant steps” toward labor reform since 2018. The organization claims it will roll out a dedicated worker welfare system to oversee labor conditions on World Cup-related projects. However, Human Rights Watch said no clear details have been shared about how that system would work or who would enforce it.
James Lynch, co-director of FairSquare, voiced strong criticism of the lack of accountability. He described a grim reality where young migrant men risk their lives for jobs abroad, while their families are left in the dark when tragedy strikes. Many families reportedly receive no explanation about the cause of death, nor any financial support.
As Saudi Arabia presses on with its World Cup vision, rights groups are urging the government, FIFA, and international stakeholders to enforce strict worker protections, conduct independent investigations into all labor-related deaths, and ensure that grieving families are treated with respect and fairness.
The challenge now is whether promises of reform will translate into meaningful change before the first whistle blows in 2034.