Human rights groups expect “severe and widespread rights violations” if Fifa approves Saudi Arabia’s bid for the 2034 men’s World Cup this week.
The country is the sole bidder for the tournament, but it has been widely attacked for its treatment of Asian and African migrant workers, who are essential to building new football stadiums and infrastructure for one of the world’s greatest sporting events.
Saudi Arabia employs around 10 million migrants in construction, hospitality, and domestic jobs. Humanitarian groups report unsafe working conditions, unlawful recruitment fees, and unpaid pay.
Rights campaigners believe Saudi officials have failed to investigate worker deaths, and many migrants’ terrible living and working conditions may be to blame.
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At least 13,685 Bangladeshi migrant workers died in Saudi Arabia between 2008 and 2022, according to a recent analysis. Over 1,500 Bangladeshis perished in 2022 four each day.
The Bangladesh government reported to Human Rights Watch that 887 Bangladeshis died in Saudi Arabia between January and July 2024, with 80% of the deaths due to “natural causes”.
“How can we tell if the death was natural? Our Nepali cousin told Human Rights Watch that a migrant worker who died of natural causes in Saudi Arabia was never seen.
Amnesty International head of labor rights and sport Steve Cockburn said: “Clearly, workers are working in unsafe conditions without protections. Saudi Arabia won’t solve a problem if they deny it.
Saudi Arabia claims it thoroughly investigates all workplace mishaps and has strict worker rights rules. It stated that negligence and lack of transparency are unwarranted.
Fifa was criticized for maltreating migrant workers before the 2022 event in Qatar. However, it will approve Saudi Arabia as the host this week without imposing labor abuse prevention agreements.
Human rights groups accuse Saudi Arabia of “whitewashing” its record of exploiting and suppressing migrant workers in a report by the law firm AS&H Clifford Chance, which was submitted to Fifa as part of its bid.
Saudi activist and Royal Holloway, University of London lecturer Dr. Maryam Aldossari said: “Women have previously been deployed as tokens of progress – whether in high-profile appointments or the lifting of restrictions like the driving ban – while women activists who fought for these rights were imprisoned, tortured or silenced.
“Now, the regime appears to be using the World Cup to whitewash its appalling human rights record. Stadiums glitter, yet women are imprisoned for tweeting, migrant labor are exploited, and dissent is suppressed brutally.
“This isn’t modernisation; it’s sportswashing,” Aldossari stated.
Fawzia al-Otaibi, whose sister was imprisoned for posting photos of herself with her head uncovered and women’s rights posts, called giving the World Cup to Saudi Arabia a “grave failure”.
“Sports should remain a platform for peace and progress, not an instrument to polish the image of oppressive regimes,” she stated.
Fifa and the Saudi ambassador were questioned. Saudi Arabia committed to respecting, defending, and upholding international human rights, according to Fifa’s bid report.
Cockburn said Fifa might improve worker and activist protections.
“We learned from the Qatar World Cup. It should be able to reform worker rights and freedoms, he argued. The World Cup could spark change. Fifa will be responsible for what happens after the vote this week.”
A Fifa representative stated, “All relevant information, including the bid evaluation reports for the 2030 and 2034 Fifa World Cup, are available on our website.”
