Rights Groups Warn of Deadly Surge in Migrant Worker Deaths Ahead of Saudi World Cup 2034
Human rights organizations have raised alarm over what they call a growing and preventable death toll among migrant construction workers in Saudi Arabia, as the country ramps up massive infrastructure projects for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
New reports by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and FairSquare say that workers are dying from unsafe working conditions, and many of these deaths are misclassified as “natural causes” to avoid accountability and compensation.
“This could become the most lethal World Cup ever,” said Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives at HRW. “Millions of migrant workers are building everything from stadiums to hotels, but their safety is not guaranteed.”
The reports come shortly after FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump attended a Saudi investment forum, raising concerns that human rights are being overshadowed by politics and business interests.
FIFA claims it remains committed to protecting workers’ rights, but critics say the organization has failed to learn from the controversies surrounding worker deaths during Qatar’s 2022 World Cup.
HRW interviewed families of 31 workers from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal who were either crushed, electrocuted, or fell to their deaths. Heat exposure was also cited as a major risk factor, especially as construction intensifies under the region’s extreme climate.
A notable case occurred in March when Pakistani foreman Muhammad Arshad died after falling from a stadium construction site in Al Khobar—marking the first known death directly linked to the 2034 World Cup.
Saudi Arabia previously stated it had made “tangible progress” in worker safety, and FIFA praised the Kingdom’s reforms since 2018. However, the global construction workers’ union BWI reported an “alarming rise” in preventable incidents, blaming systemic negligence, corruption, and lack of oversight.
According to FairSquare, autopsies are rarely conducted to determine actual causes of death. Co-director James Lynch described the situation as a deadly failure of Saudi Arabia’s medical, legal, and labor systems.
“Young men are dying far from home, their families never told how they died, and no one is held accountable,” Lynch said. “FIFA’s human rights promises are a façade.”
In response, FIFA said it is developing a worker welfare system to enforce safety standards across all World Cup-related projects. However, critics argue that no specific details or enforcement mechanisms have been made public.
HRW has called on FIFA, Saudi authorities, and employers to ensure full investigations into every migrant worker death and provide timely and fair compensation to bereaved families.
