Imagine spending 13 hours a day working inside an oven, only to emerge outside in blistering summer temperatures of more than 45°C. This is the daily life of Baker Eid Ahmed, a 35-year-old Egyptian worker in Riyadh. With a cold bottle of water and a damp cloth as his companions, Ahmed struggles through long shifts in a tiny bakery, caught between the heat of a wood-fired oven and the hot air leaking from the outside.
“Here by the fire, I suffer on both sides,”
he reports, speaking not only of pain that strikes his body, but of an affliction that invades his capacity to exist as a normal human being.
While fans everywhere look up to FIFA and eagerly await the drama of the 2034 World Cup, workers such as Ahmed endure conditions to which no player or spectator should be subjected. The growing international stature of Saudi Arabia and its bids to stage mega-events belie a dark truth: hazardous working conditions and chronic disregard for the fundamental rights of workers.
Abysmal Working Conditions: Within and Outside the Bakery
Saudi Arabia’s climate is notorious, with temperatures in the summer easily reaching over 50°C. To its credit, the kingdom prohibits outdoor labor during the height of the heat from mid-June through mid-September, allegedly to shield workers.
However, indoor workers such as Ahmed are still exposed to artificial heat from ovens, kitchens, and factory equipment, which can be just as lethal. Karim Elgendy, director of the Carboun Institute, clarifies:
“Direct sunlight exposure at 40°C for one hour equals standing in front of an oven at 200°C for the same length of time.”
This pronouncement highlights the severe health hazards of indoor workers, such as heat exhaustion, dehydration, and organ strain, that are usually neglected in Saudi labor laws. Notwithstanding international norms and human rights guidelines, indoor workers remain most vulnerable to dangerous environments, unprotected by law.
Human Rights at Stake
Baker Ahmed’s case is not an exception. In Riyadh and other Saudi cities, bakery, laundry, and restaurant workers also face the same struggles. Human Rights Watch has urged Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, to provide greater protection to indoor workers exposed to extreme heat, calling existing measures “insufficient.” Saudi authorities have paid little heed to these appeals, leaving migrant workers at risk of daily health hazards for low wages. In most cases, these vulnerable migrant workers come from Egypt, India, and Pakistan.
Ahmed himself receives 3,000 riyals ($800) a month, a fortune that induced him to quit Egypt five years ago. He still works 11:00 AM to midnight shifts despite feeling tired early on.
“By lunchtime, I’m exhausted. I can’t walk after work and need to lie down for at least 30 minutes to return to normal,”
he describes. His testimony provides a bleak picture of economic necessity driving workers to jeopardize their health—a situation which remains largely out of sight of the international community.
The Irony of FIFA Hosting
Saudi Arabia’s bid to stage the 2034 FIFA World Cup guarantees world-class stadiums, top-notch facilities, and a spectacle for millions of fans. But if the kingdom cannot keep its own workers safe from debilitating heat, how will it be able to ensure the safety, fairness, and dignity expected in an international sporting event?
The contrast is stark: while the world applauds Saudi’s investments in sports infrastructure, the people actually building and running these facilities often suffer in silence. Their sweat and labor are foundational to the country’s international image, yet the human cost remains invisible to those cheering from afar.
Statistics That Demand Attention
- Heat stress impacts millions of Gulf workers, the International Labour Organization (ILO) claims, resulting in thousands of cases of heat-related illnesses every year.
- Migrant workers make up more than 80% of Saudi Arabia’s private sector workforce, but many endure poor working conditions, excessive working hours, and inadequate legal protections.
- Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International report that low-paid workers are frequently subjected to 12 to 14-hour days in scorching heat, with restricted medical attention or breaks.
These statistics raise a disturbing truth: the sheen of hosting international sports cannot mask the exploitation and misery of the laborers who enable it.
Why the World Should Think About a Boycott
Organizing a mega-event such as the FIFA World Cup is not simply about stadiums or sponsorship; it’s about ethics, human rights, and world responsibility. Giving the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia sends a perilous message: that states can host the world and disregard the well-being of their own people and migrant workers.
A boycott is not symbolic. It is a call to action, an appeal that FIFA and the international community make to the host countries to be accountable. If Saudi Arabia can’t provide minimum health and safety guarantees to workers, can it seriously host the world’s largest sporting event? The answer, unfortunately, seems to be no.
The Human Face of a Boycott
Baker Ahmed is not just a statistic. He is representative of millions of migrant workers whose blood, sweat, and tears construct the infrastructure, services, and amenities frequently being hailed in the international media. In bringing his story to attention, campaigners hope to divert attention from the glamour of FIFA to the real agony on the ground.
A boycott of the Saudi 2034 is not political; it is decency and fairness. The world needs to understand that endorsement of an event in a nation that has risky labor conditions and inadequate protection will sanction these acts by implication.
Demand Accountability Before Celebration
The tale of Baker Ahmed and hundreds of thousands of other laborers is a harsh reminder that human rights must not be sacrificed to entertainment or to profit. Saudi Arabia, poised to host the world in the 2034 FIFA World Cup, first needs to attend to the systemic exploitation, hazardous working conditions, and absence of protections for its workforce.
Until then, fans, players, and the world must stand with these workers. Boycotting Saudi Arabia’s 2034 FIFA World Cup is not a protest gesture—it is a call to put human dignity and safety ahead of spectacle and greed.
Pressure FIFA to reconsider Saudi Arabia’s hosting rights until the kingdom has in place strong labor protections and guarantees that no worker suffers in the quest for sporting greatness. A world-class event should embody world-class values—and that starts with respect for the rights of every worker.