Saudi Arabia: Worker Abuses Persist Under FIFA’s Watch

Geneva, 22 October 2024 - The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) warns against FIFA’s blatant disregard for human rights in its process of assessing the 2034 FIFA World Cup’s award to Saudi Arabia. Despite serious, documented abuses of over 21,000 migrant workers, FIFA has chosen to ignore the voices of those who have been victims of forced labour and wage theft, failing to uphold its own commitments to human rights.

New evidence from reports sent to BWI by workers waiting for their long-overdue wages reveals a disturbing reality. Workers from the Philippines, Nepal, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, who played an essential role in building Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure, remain uncompensated. Despite BWI’s landmark complaint filedlandmark complaint filed with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in June 2024, calling for justice for these workers, Saudi authorities have processed only a fraction of the payments. 

A letter from Filipino workers employed by the now-liquidated Saudi Oger company highlights the extent of this neglect. Of the 8,830 claimants, only 1,352 have been compensated, receiving a total of SAR 69.050.811 (USD 18.390.201 out of an estimated SAR 2.6 billion – about USD 693 million), while thousands remain unpaid. According to the testimonies received, many of these workers have endured years of hardship, taking out high-interest loans to cover basic household expenses, while others have been unable to send their children to school or afford medical care. 

In this critical time when FIFA is evaluating the Human Rights Strategy officially presented by the Saudi Arabian Football Association (SAFF) in July 2024, in connection with the 2034 FIFA World Cup, this injustice is allowed to persist under its watch. FIFA’s own human rights policy clearly states that host countries must adhere to international labour and human rights standards. The policy explicitly commits FIFA to “prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts” and to exercise due diligence in its selection of host countries. 

Where is FIFA’s Due Diligence?

With less than two months to go before the World Cup is awarded to Saudi Arabia, how can FIFA claim to have conducted in-depth due diligence on Saudi Arabia? True due diligence requires monitoring the treatment of workers and consulting their organizations - something Saudi Arabia makes impossible. Independent trade unions are banned, fear and intimidation are rampant, and human rights defenders are either imprisoned or silenced.

Since the filing of a complaint at the ILO, supported by several human rights and trade union organisations, BWI has repeatedly called on FIFA to engage in dialogue about these abuses and to set stringent conditions for hosting. FIFA has remained silent. In the absence of independent trade unions, how can FIFA claim that it has fulfilled its obligations to ensure fair and humane treatment for workers in Saudi Arabia? The answer is clear: it has not.

A Legacy of Abuse and Exploitation

Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure is built on the backs of exploited migrant and local workers. Cases documented by BWI show that they have already been denied their dignity, their wages, and their future. A decision to award the 2034 World Cup to a country that lacks both the physical and social infrastructure to host it fairly is nothing short of sports colonialism. While Saudi Arabia may invest billions in new stadiums and infrastructure in the decade to come, the profits will be concentrated in the hands of FIFA and its corporate and powerful local partners, leaving the country’s workers and vulnerable populations to bear the burden of labour abuse and social disruption.

Construction plans

To host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, Saudi Arabia faces a significant challenge in meeting the stadium requirements outlined in FIFA's 2030 and 2034 bidding regulations. At the time of its bid submission, the country had only two stadiums built, with additional construction projects awarded in 2024 and one project initiatedone project initiated in March of this year. Out of the 15 stadiums with a capacity of 40,000 seats or more that are required, Saudi Arabia will need to build or expand 13 stadiums. This includes constructing 8 new builds plus 3 which are under construction, and 2 to be expanded including the stadium for the World Cup final, which must accommodate 80,000 spectators. Currently, Saudi Arabia meets the semi-final stadium requirement with two existing stadiums of 60,000 seats but falls short of the final match criteria. 

Based on its longstanding experience with upholding decent work standards through labour inspections in mega-sporting events, as in Qatar, the BWI estimates that a construction effort of this magnitude, excluding surrounding infrastructure, will require no less than 70’000 workers.  

FIFA Must Be Held Accountable

For too long, FIFA has prioritized profit over people. FIFA claims to promote a sport that inspires millions around the world. Yet, by turning a blind eye to the conditions of 20,000 migrant workers whose rights have been ruthlessly trampled and their suffering ignored, it turns its back on the very values it claims to uphold. 

Ambet Yuson, BWI General Secretary said “Rewarding Saudi Arabia with the 2034 FIFA World Cup without any robust assessment and any mechanisms in place to prevent further abuses, is to endorse exploitation and injustice on a global stage. 

Whilst no credible assessment of the Saudi’s human rights plans can be made without input from independent organisations on the ground, FIFA must immediately take responsibility and use its leverage to ensure justice for the thousands of workers who have been denied their most basic rights for more than a decade.

The time for action is now – before any decision is finalised and injustice becomes a permanent stain in the world of sport,”  END