Riyadh: As US President Donald Trump engaged in high-stakes negotiations in Saudi Arabia from May 13-16, a troubling report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) cast a shadow over the proceedings with revelations about the perilous conditions faced by migrant workers in Saudi FIFA worksites.
According to Global Voices, the HRW investigation, released on May 14, 2025, highlighted that hundreds of South Asian migrant workers are perishing in avoidable workplace accidents, including falls, electrocutions, and decapitations.
HRW’s findings point to a significant gap in government policies and procedures, which fail to effectively address and investigate these recurring tragedies. Although procedures are in place, Saudi authorities have not been conducting thorough investigations, nor have they provided timely and adequate compensation to the victims’ families. The issue has become more pressing as Saudi Arabia gears up for the 2034 World Cup, with several mega projects underway to accommodate the event, potentially inc
reasing the risk of workplace fatalities.
Michael Page of HRW warned that the ongoing fatalities should serve as a dire warning for businesses and sports associations planning to collaborate with FIFA on the 2034 World Cup and other Saudi projects. HRW has urged Saudi authorities, FIFA, and employers to take immediate action to ensure comprehensive investigations into migrant worker deaths.
HRW’s research indicates an alarming trend of attributing the majority of these deaths to “natural causes.” In 2023, 74 percent of the 1,420 Indian migrant worker deaths reported by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh were classified as such. Similarly, 80 percent of the 887 Bangladeshi deaths in the first half of 2024 and 68 percent of the Nepali deaths from 2019 to 2022 were labeled under the same category.
In some cases, witnesses reported that coworkers died due to workplace accidents, including electrocution and elevator mishaps, but families were falsely informed that they died in their sleep. Witnesses also recounted be
ing compelled to resume work immediately after witnessing such tragedies, with no bereavement leave or psychological support provided.
Despite the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) offering mandatory coverage for work-related injuries and deaths in Saudi Arabia, HRW highlights a disconnect between policy and practice. Even when deaths are officially recognized as work-related, families encounter significant delays and bureaucratic challenges in obtaining compensation.
The widow of a Nepali worker shared her ordeal, revealing how she repeatedly petitioned her husband’s company for insurance money, only to be told that life insurance was not part of their policy. She suspects the investigation into her husband’s death was insufficient but lacks the resources to challenge the company’s claims or seek clarity in Saudi Arabia.
For many bereaved families, especially from South Asia, the responsibility of seeking redress often falls to welfare programs run by their home countries. These programs, f
unded through Migrant Welfare Funds, offer limited support and are often inaccessible to those without valid labor permits. The extent and availability of such assistance vary greatly depending on the country of origin.