Muhammad Arshad was working at one of the World Cup stadium construction sites in Saudi Arabia when he died recently. Unfortunately, during construction work at Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, on March 12, 2025, Arshad died after falling from a height.
This fatality is the first confirmed death of a worker constructing stadiums for the 2034 World Cup, highlighting working conditions to a wider audience and raising the prospect of more accidents as the country gears up for one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles. With migrant workers central to building the infrastructure for the World Cup, it is vital to mitigate the dangers they are exposed to every day.
The Dark Reality of World Cup Stadium Construction
Building World Cup stadiums and infrastructure is a huge undertaking, usually relying on the labor of migrant workers from countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. They are still being forced to endure dangerous working environments, long hours, and a lack of proper safety regulations.
The unfortunate death of Muhammad Arshad is a testament to the perils faced by the majority of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, especially those in the construction domain. This was a recognized hazard for which the industry has protective equipment (fall-arrest), but this was neither adequately nor appropriately connected up to an anchor point during the accident.
Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia: A Growing Concern
More than 2 million migrant workers live in Saudi Arabia, and many are engaged in the construction of the facilities and infrastructure required for events such as the World Cup. The kingdom’s dependence on cheap migrant labor raises questions about the treatment of workers, particularly in terms of safety and living conditions.
- Between 2008 and 2022, there were 13,600 reported deaths of migrant workers, most of whom came from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
- 76% of those deaths were listed as “natural causes,” even when the workers involved were young and healthy, raising serious concerns about transparency in the reporting process.
- Migrant labor makes up 50% of Saudi Arabia’s workforce, many of whom work on construction and infrastructure projects for the World Cup stadiums.
The Human Cost of Major Sporting Events
The preparations for the 2034 World Cup will be pressured with demand for all construction labor. But without stricter regulations and better enforcement of worker safety standards, more lives could be lost in the process. This isn’t the first time that the safety of workers in the Middle East has been called into question — Qatar’s preparations for the 2022 World Cup also drew outrage over the treatment of migrant laborers.
- Since October 2023, The Guardian has reported that more than 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar. Most of the deaths were ascribed to “natural causes,” but it’s unclear how many of those might have been preventable workplace accidents.
- Amnesty International and several other rights groups have urged for worker rights in Saudi Arabia to receive more focus as the country prepares for the 2034 World Cup.
- FIFA must make sure Saudi Arabia meets international labor standards as part of their World Cup bid, Amnesty International has said. The world must do its utmost to hold FIFA responsible for protecting the safety and rights of workers during the run-up to the spectacle.
Why It Matters: Urgency of the Moment
The construction sector in Saudi Arabia—where most immigrants with blue-collar jobs find work—has seen numerous deaths and is part of a long pattern of deaths of migrant laborers. With the 2034 World Cup Qatar initiative on the horizon, the international community needs to hold contractors to greater responsibility for the laborers on the ground.
- International Labor Organization: According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 2.3 million people die each year from occupational accidents and diseases worldwide. Although these figures are global, most of these deaths occur in countries with a high dependence on migrant labor, such as Saudi Arabia.
- Migrant workers: Migrant workers are frequently subjected to intense physical and emotional pressure, and cases like Arshad’s raise troubling questions about inadequate protection and compensation for families.
FIFA, the world football’s governing body, must pressure Saudi Arabia to comply with labor standards and safety measures to safeguard the lives of migrant workers. Read more from Global Citizen about the UN’s response to the public outcry over the treatment of those who work on the Cup. Unfortunately, the international community and organizations such as the ILO still need to put pressure on Saudi Arabia to change working conditions and the systemic issues leading to these deaths.
What Needs to Change in the Laws of Employment in Saudi Arabia?
For this to be a meaningful change, Saudi Arabia must adopt stricter labor laws and safety guidelines to ensure that migrant workers have better protection. Here are critical reforms that need to be put into place:
- Strong Safety Procedures: All workers must have use of appropriate safety gear, including fall-arrest systems, and businesses should be held responsible for not providing these protections.
- Transparency in reporting: Rights should be given to report workplace accidents, including fatalities, so they are documented and investigated properly.
- Better worker welfare: This begins with ensuring that migrant workers have safe accommodations, fair wages, and access to healthcare. Employers should also be charged with securing workers’ welfare throughout the length of their contracts.
- Rehabilitation Guidelines: The program can either be developed by a new organization specifically designed for this purpose or handed to an existing global program to ensure it adheres to international labor laws and worker safety.
- Enhanced Labor Rights Enforcement: Ensuring that companies are held accountable to safety laws and that workers are treated justly requires strong enforcement of labor rights.
FIFA and International Organizations: A Responsibility Beyond Borders
FIFA must now stand firm on the rights of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. Although the organization has previously been criticized for its negligence of worker welfare, the construction of the upcoming 2034 World Cup presents itself as an opportunity to possess higher standards for future events. FIFA must work with international trade unions, the ILO, and the UN to make sure workers building World Cup stadiums are treated well and safely.
In addition, international governments and human rights organizations should not stop pressuring Saudi Arabia to make sure that it provides for labor standards and protects workers. By upholding the rights of the workers who built the stadiums being used for the tournament, the global community must ensure that the World Cup does not become a symbol of exploitation but rather a demonstration of fairness and respect for the workers who make it happen.