On the surface, Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034 seems like an economic development opportunity and a stage for international outreach. But lift the veil, and there is a darker reality in store — one of migrant worker exploitation, human rights abuses, and large-scale sportswashing. It has been recently reported that Saudi Arabia is actively working to recruit thousands of Bangladeshi laborers to carry out infrastructure projects for the FIFA World Cup 2034.
But as human rights activists, we must ask: at what cost?
If experience is any guide, particularly the awful stories of migrant workers in preparation for Qatar’s 2022 World Cup, then the response is grim. Without profound reforms in labor law and human rights safeguards, Saudi Arabia’s World Cup in 2034 will be built on the backs of exploited, abused, and silenced workers.
The State of Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia
For decades, migrant workers have been the backbone of the Gulf’s construction industry, but their treatment has not been fair. Saudi Arabia has been frequently criticized for exploiting migrant workers, particularly in industries such as construction, domestic work, and hospitality. Exploitation in these industries includes practices such as:
- Confiscation of Passports: Workers are frequently made to hand over their passports, making them vulnerable and without means to leave abusive employers.
- Wage Theft: The majority of workers are paid significantly less than they were guaranteed, or in some cases, nothing at all. Delayed wages, underpayment, and withheld wages are widespread abuses.
- Unsafe Working Conditions: Construction workers are subject to dangerous working conditions. From laboring in the blistering desert sun to being forced into dangerous work with disregard for safety protocols, many have perished or been severely injured.
- Inadequate Living Conditions: Migrant workers often are housed in densely populated, unhygienic conditions where infection is rampant and their fundamental human needs are disregarded.
- Lack of Legal Protections: Saudi labor regulations offer little protection to migrant workers, and employees often are barred from seeking legal relief due to fear of deportation or retaliation.
A New Wave of Exploitation in the Making
Last week, Bangladesh’s Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul appealed to Saudi Arabia to employ more qualified Bangladeshi professionals to support the construction of the mega-events-related infrastructure like World Expo 2030 and FIFA World Cup 2034.
During a Saudi delegation bilateral conference, Dr. Nazrul advocated for more cooperation to facilitate Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia labor migration. He emphasized employment e-contracts, improved employee training, and greater protection for workers through cooperative task forces.
As alluring as these diplomatic moves are described as “opportunities,” we cannot turn a blind eye to what has transpired. South Asian migrants — particularly Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Indians, and Pakistanis — have been vulnerable to labor abuses in the GCC for decades and comprise:
- Passport theft
- Theft of wages and withholding of wages
- Poor living conditions
- Dangerous and unsafe working conditions
- Restricted access to healthcare and remedies according to the law
Qatar’s lead-up to the 2022 World Cup was infamous for such abuses, and human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemned “modern slavery” conditions. It was estimated that thousands of migrant workers died from unsafe working conditions and heat strokes. And now Saudi Arabia seems to be employing the same playbook.
Sportswashing to Distract From Human Rights Abuses
Bangladesh labor hiring for Saudi Arabia’s mega-projects is not just labor migration — it’s sportswashing. It is the practice of hosting major sporting events to distract from a country’s poor human rights record and improve its global reputation. Saudi Arabia has invested billions in sporting endeavors — from boxing and Formula 1 to the LIV Golf Tour and, most recently, the FIFA World Cup. As stadiums rise and global crowds listen, Saudi Arabia is hoping the world will remember less:
- The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
- The ongoing detention of women’s rights activists
- The violent oppression of political dissidents
- The persecution of LGBTQ individuals
- The quashing of free speech and independent media
By employing thousands of Bangladeshi workers to build infrastructure for these mega-events, Saudi Arabia is attempting to build a glittering spectacle — one designed to drown out its decades-long history of abuse of human rights.
FIFA’s Complicity Cannot Be Ignored
FIFA, the world football governing body, is also to blame. By awarding Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup — with no competitive bid and no direct human rights terms — FIFA has once again proved that money above people is its priority.
It appears that FIFA has learnt very little from the criticisms that it attracted about the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Rather than standing for labor rights and human dignity, it is keeping its eyes closed to the danger of mass exploitation. We should not allow this cycle to continue.
Why We Must Boycott Saudi 2034
Our message is uncomplicated and emphatic: Boycott the Saudi 2034 FIFA World Cup. Here’s why:
1. To Challenge Exploitation of Workers
The employment of hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi laborers, without any ironclad guarantees of their labor rights, risks the perpetration of yet another humanitarian tragedy. We should not allow yet another generation of migrant laborers to be taken advantage of, injured, or killed to build stadium facilities for a sporting tournament.
2. To Resist Sportswashing
Saudi Arabia should not be allowed to cleanse its international image white through football — especially when it is crushing opposition, jailing activists, and ignoring basic human rights.
3 . To Demand Accountability from FIFA
FIFA must be made accountable for enabling authoritarian regimes to exploit workers and football as tools for political purposes. A global boycott makes it clear that supporters will not support games built on human pain.
4. To Stand with Bangladesh’s Vulnerable Workers Globally
Being together with Bangladesh and other vulnerable workers is a matter of international justice. Human rights should not be compromised for entertainment or profit purposes.
Our Call to the World
As Dr. Nazrul urges Saudi Arabia to employ more Bangladeshi workers, we appeal to governments, football fans, sportspeople, women, and human rights campaigners to stand and speak out. Don’t let the Saudi 2034 World Cup be built on the backs of suffering Bangladeshi workers — Boycott Saudi 2034!