Migrant workers report indicators of forced labour, interviews reveal

Major global companies and banks are exposed to human rights risks associated with Saudi Arabia’s clean energy sector, says a report by non-profit the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre.

The country’s renewable energy industry is growing, and since 2024 seven new solar and wind projects with a total investment value of $8.3bn have been announced. Meanwhile, in July 2025, the majority state-owned ACWA Power company signed a memoranda of understanding with European companies to export renewable energy and green hydrogen to Europe.

However, companies and financial institutions building and investing in Saudi Arabia’s green energy projects, including the Neom urban development project’s green hydrogen plant, could be linked to instances of forced labour, finds research by the BHRRC.

More than 53 per cent of the 34 migrant workers interviewed in the report reported five or more indicators of forced labour conditions, as defined by the UN’s International Labour Organization. The researchers interviewed workers from five clean energy projects.

The most common types of abuse reported by the workers were being charged recruitment fees, restricted access to non-judicial remedies for human rights grievances, and restricted freedom of movement, according to the report…