Migrant workers powering Saudi Arabia’s green energy boom are facing systemic abuse, a new report has revealed. Workers toiling on the country’s flagship renewable energy projects have described life as “hell” and conditions “like jail” – raising urgent questions about corporate accountability in the global energy transition.

Published by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, the report warns companies operating in and financing Saudi’s renewables sector are not prepared to deal with the associated human rights risks. Interviews with Nepali and Bangladeshi workers surfaced dangerous heat exposure, injuries and deaths, wage theft and low wages, restricted freedom of movement, extortionate fee charging, and several indicators of forced labour as defined by the International Labour Organization.

The report linked these abuses to major global companies and financiers, including household-name energy firms (ACWA Power, Air Products and Saudi Aramco), major construction contractors (Larsen and Toubro and PowerChina) and international banks (Standard Chartered, HSBC and JPMorgan Chase). In addition, Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 Football World Cup spotlights World Cup host city NEOM and its ‘Green Hydrogen Power Plant’, where abuses were identified in this report.

Drawing on testimonies from 34 Nepali and Bangladeshi workers, the research found exploitative working conditions on nine renewables projects in Saudi Arabia, including: Al Kahfah Solar PV Project, Sudair Solar PV Project, NEOM Green Hydrogen Project, Muwayh Solar PV Project and Saad 2 Solar PV Project.

Key findings included:

• Over half (53%) of migrant workers interviewed reported experiencing five or more indicators of forced labour.
• All workers paid recruitment fees without reimbursement, leading to significant debt.
• Widespread wage theft and extremely low pay (averaging US$370/month without overtime).
• Unsafe working conditions, including labouring outside in extreme temperatures above 50°C.
• Six worker deaths reported on project sites, alongside frequent injuries and illness.

In addition, workers’ concerns are being silenced. Around a third of workers said they or their colleagues faced retaliation for raising complaints, including intimidation, dismissal and deportation, creating a culture of fear that prevents abuses from surfacing and stops workers from being able to seek remedy. This is further exacerbated by the widespread failure of associated companies to proactively investigate working conditions, allowing major renewables firms, and those who finance them, to evade accountability.

Catriona Fraser, Migrant Workers Researcher, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said: “As Saudi Arabia positions itself as a leader in the green economy, migrant workers – who are the backbone of their renewable energy projects – are being exploited and dehumanised in the very industry that should symbolise a sustainable future. These abuses are emerging as the country sees significant investment in its renewables industry and growing global trade, including several agreements signed this year to export renewable energy to Europe. With the coming years promising to bring substantial increases in renewables investment across Saudi Arabia, multinationals and global banks powering these projects must open their eyes to the very real human cost of the Kingdom's green energy boom.

“However, this is not just about Saudi Arabia; the Kingdom is a microcosm. As renewable industries expand, governments and companies worldwide increasingly rely on migrant labour to fill workforce gaps, not just in the Gulf but also in the Asia-Pacific, Americas and Europe. This makes Saudi Arabia a critical test case for the renewables sector: if companies can address migrant rights risks here, benefits can be reaped worldwide. We cannot have an energy transition that is built on exploitation and abuse. Renewable companies and their financiers must act urgently to ensure the rights of these workers are respected: fair recruitment, safe conditions and decent wages are not optional extras. They are fundamental components of a truly just transition.”

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