Unpaid and Forgotten: Saudi Arabia’s Migrant Workers Trapped in a Cycle of Exploitation

Another tragedy unfolds in Saudi Arabia as hundreds of migrant workers are once again denied their most basic rights. Employees of Sndan Global Manufacturing and Supplying Company have reportedly gone unpaid for up to eight months, including workers assigned to major projects run by the state-owned oil giant Aramco. Most of these workers—coming from Nepal, Bangladesh, and India—now find themselves stranded without salaries, living in dire conditions, and forced either to remain in the country illegally or to return home at their own expense, abandoning the wages and benefits stolen by the regime and its subcontractors.

This situation is not an isolated incident but part of a deeply rooted pattern of systematic exploitation. While Saudi authorities boast of their massive development projects—including the construction of 11 new or renovated stadiums in preparation for hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup—violations against migrant workers continue to rise. The hypocrisy is glaring: Aramco, a “global partner” of FIFA, ignores the plight of workers who built its projects and have gone unpaid for months, as if it operates beyond accountability. The absence of any serious action by Saudi authorities confirms once again that the regime shields abusive companies while leaving migrant workers to face hunger, despair, and destitution.

Workers interviewed described conditions that mirror modern-day slavery—inedible food, overcrowded and unhygienic accommodation, and deprivation of even the most basic necessities. One Nepali worker said, “We only eat rice and lentils. We can’t even afford toothpaste or shampoo.” Others spoke of families back home suffering financial collapse after remittances stopped, unable to repay recruitment debts imposed by brokers in violation of Saudi labour laws. Some workers fled and took irregular jobs despite the risk of arrest and deportation, while others protested or turned to social media to demand their wages—acts considered crimes under Saudi law.

As Sndan Global reportedly shut down operations, Aramco remains both legally and morally responsible for ensuring that workers at its project sites receive full compensation. Yet it has taken no action to secure payments or provide redress through state mechanisms or insurance funds. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Human Resources issued only a vague statement claiming “corrective measures” without revealing how many workers were affected or whether their claims were resolved—proof that the so-called “Wage Protection System” is little more than a façade.

Even the government’s “Wage Insurance” programme, introduced in October 2024 to cover unpaid salaries, is riddled with loopholes that render it ineffective. Workers may only file claims after six consecutive months without pay, and only if 80% of the company’s employees are similarly affected—criteria that automatically exclude most victims. Those who qualify, including Sndan employees, often avoid filing complaints out of fear of retaliation or deportation. Such systemic flaws ensure that wage theft remains one of the most widespread and unpunished abuses in Saudi Arabia.

These ongoing violations reveal the regime’s true nature: a government eager to present a modern image abroad while sustaining its economy through exploitation and deception. Instead of reform, Saudi authorities rely on cosmetic publicity campaigns designed to mask their human rights record, while countless stories of abuse and injustice remain unresolved.

Together for Justice strongly condemns the continued theft of migrant workers’ wages in Saudi Arabia and holds the Saudi regime and Aramco fully responsible for these gross human rights violations. The organization calls for an immediate, transparent investigation into the abuses affecting Sndan Global workers, prompt payment of all outstanding wages, and fair compensation for all victims. Together for Justice also urges FIFA, international sporting bodies, and global corporations to reassess their partnerships with a regime that builds its sporting and economic image on the suffering of exploited workers. Silence in the face of such crimes is not neutrality—it is complicity that legitimizes modern-day slavery under an oil-stained banner of progress.