Migrants dying in Saudi FIFA worksites

In the week that US President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia to sign deals worth hundreds of billions of dollars, a rights group published its investigation of deaths of migrant workers in the country.

They are dying in horrific yet preventable workplace accidents, says the report by the US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW). They are killed in falls at construction sites, electrocution, and even decapitation.

HRW cites lack of effective government policies and procedures to determine the causes of migrant worker deaths. Procedures already exist, but Saudi authorities have failed to conduct thorough investigations in recurring incidents and not provided timely and adequate compensation to affected families. 

Under Saudi law, employers with 50 or more workers are required to implement health and safety measures, conduct training, assess workplace risks, and ensure the provision of protective equipment and first aid. 

However, HRW’s investigation shows that abuses and dangerous working conditions remain widespread. While illnesses from extreme heat are formally recognised as occupational diseases, protections against heat-related injuries and deaths remain grossly insufficient.

Families often struggle to receive compensation, with the process described to be lengthy and burdensome.

Even as the Saudi government ramps up construction work for the 2034 World Cup with FIFA handing it over the tournament, the risks of occupational deaths and injuries further increase with the mega projects raising fears that it could come at a severe human cost.

“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 on the 2034 Men’s World Cup and other Saudi giga-projects,” HRW’s Michael Page.

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The group called on Saudi authorities, FIFA, and involved employers to take urgent action, stressing that all migrant worker deaths must be thoroughly investigated.

HRW’s research on the migrant worker deaths reveals that the vast majority have been officially attributed to ‘natural causes’.

In 2023 alone, 74% of the 1,420 Indian migrant worker deaths recorded by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh were labeled as such. ‘Natural causes’ were cited in 80% of the 887 Bangladeshi deaths during the first half of 2024, and in 68% of 870 recorded Nepali migrant worker deaths between 2019 and 2022.

In two cases, witnesses informed families that their coworkers had died as a result of workplace accidents. One was due to electrocution and the other in an elevator incident. Families were told they died in their sleep.

Witnesses also reported being forced to resume work immediately after witnessing coworkers die in workplace accidents. One worker, who removed his friend’s body following a machinery accident, returned to work the next day without any bereavement leave or psychological support.

Saudi Arabia’s General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) provides mandatory coverage for work-related injuries and deaths, yet, HRW says there is a gap between policy and practice.

Even when deaths are officially classified as work-related, migrant workers’ families often face prolonged delays and bureaucratic hurdles in accessing compensation.

Recounting the sudden death of her husband, one Nepali widow shared her experience: “I begged the company multiple times for insurance money. But they said it is not in their rules as they do not have a life insurance policy, just accidental insurance.” She suspects the investigation into her husband’s death was incomplete, but like many in her situation, she lacked the resources to challenge the company’s claims or travel to Saudi Arabia for clarity.

For many bereaved families, especially those from South Asia, the burden of securing any form of redress often shifts to welfare programs run by their own governments.

These schemes, typically funded through Migrant Welfare Funds, offer limited relief and are frequently inaccessible to those without valid labor permits. The scope and generosity of such support also varies depending on the country of origin.