Amnesty International recently released a report highlighting severe human rights abuses faced by migrant workers involved in the construction of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Metro Project. The detailed findings expose violations of both Saudi legal standards and international human rights agreements. The workers, hailing from countries such as India and Nepal, shared harrowing experiences that illustrate systemic issues within the Saudi labor market.
One persistent problem involves excessive recruitment fees. Despite Saudi law prohibiting such charges, workers reportedly paid between USD 700 to 2,700 just to secure employment, often plunging into debt to do so. These fees often exceeded the legal caps set by the workers’ countries of origin. In addition to financial extortions, these laborers endured punishing working conditions, particularly dangerous heat levels, causing some to collapse from exposure. Enforcement of heat exposure regulations appears lacking, as penalties for non-compliance remain minimal.
Amnesty’s report further criticized the insufficient wages paid to workers, some of whom earn less than $2 per hour. The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights mandates fair wages to uphold a decent standard of living, a metric that many workers on this project evidently do not meet. The meager pay forces a number of them into grueling schedules exceeding 60 hours per week, compounding the adverse impact on their well-being.
Sanitation and food quality issues add to the grim conditions described by these workers. These concerns resonate with broader accusations against Saudi Arabia’s treatment of migrant workers, underscoring the need for systemic reform. Amnesty International’s call to action urges Saudi Arabia to revamp its migrant labor policies and for companies to undertake thorough human rights due diligence. It also calls on labor-exporting countries to provide greater protection against recruitment abuses.
The Riyadh Metro Project, which began in 2014 and became fully operational in 2025, employs tens of thousands of workers. However, the project’s progress and state-of-the-art infrastructure starkly contrast with the human rights issues clouding its development. This project’s critiques echo broader human rights scrutiny faced by Saudi Arabia, including during public events like the Riyadh Comedy Festival, which was accused of deflecting attention from broader repressions.
Concerns over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record have extended into international diplomacy, with calls for countries like the United States to emphasize these issues during engagements with Saudi leaders. The ongoing situation with migrant workers on the Riyadh Metro Project exemplifies larger systemic issues that continue to attract global criticism. For further reading, the details can be accessed here.