" First migrant worker dies building a World Cup stadium in Saudi Arabia", 21 March 2025

Muhammad Arshad, from Pakistan, was a foreman building Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar, one of 11 new venues for 2034

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Muhammad Arshad, from Pakistan, fell to his death from an upper level during the construction of the Aramco Stadium in the eastern city of Al Khobar on 12 March, according to sources with knowledge of the incident.

His death is the first-known death of a migrant worker linked to the 2034 World Cup and comes just three months after the Gulf kingdom was named the host of the tournament by Fifa.

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Arshad’s death was confirmed by Besix Group, a Belgian construction multinational, whose subsidiary Six Construct is one of the main contractors at the stadium.

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“A team of three workers was engaged in formwork operations [creating moulds for concrete] at height when the platform they were working on tilted. While all three were equipped with personal fall-arrest systems, one worker was not connected to an anchor point at the time of the incident and fell, sustaining severe injuries,” the company said in a statement. Emergency services were immediately called, but “the worker sadly succumbed to his injuries in hospital”

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Besix said: “Out of respect for the victim’s family, workers were asked not to share images of the consequences of the tragic accident on social media.

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“Safety is and remains our absolute priority … The authorities are conducting a full inquiry, and we are fully cooperating to determine the exact circumstances of this tragedy,” the company said

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Besix said it had taken steps to support the family and ensure all payments were, “handled in a timely and respectful manner”.

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Aramco said the safety and wellbeing of employees was “our highest priority”.

“The company follows industry best practices in managing and reporting incidents, including determining the facts, sequence of events and root causes,” it said in a statement.

Fifa did not respond to requests for comment.