Workers from Nepal, India and Bangladesh faced illegal recruitment fees, extreme heat and meagre wages, report reveals
KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 19
Migrant workers employed on Saudi Arabia's flagship Riyadh Metro project endured a decade of severe exploitation, including illegal recruitment fees, dangerous working conditions and discriminatory, low wages, Amnesty International said in a new report released on Tuesday.
The report, "Nobody wants to work in these situations": A decade of exploitation on the Riyadh Metro project, documents widespread abuses affecting workers from Nepal, India and Bangladesh who were hired by major international and Saudi firms between 2014 and 2025.
According to Amnesty International, nearly all workers interviewed had paid illegal recruitment fees ranging from USD 700 to USD 3,500 even before leaving their home countries, despite Saudi law prohibiting such charges. Many were forced into debt, increasing their vulnerability to further exploitation. One Nepali worker, Suman, said he was compelled to sell family gold and borrow money to secure a job that paid just USD 266 a month.
Once in Saudi Arabia, migrant workers reported earning less than USD 2 an hour while working more than 60 hours a week in scorching heat that frequently exceeded 40°C. Although Saudi Arabia bans outdoor work between midday and 3pm during summer, Amnesty said the rule offered little protection, with workers routinely pushed to continue despite dangerous temperatures.
Indra, a Nepali worker, described the heat as "like being in hell", while others said they felt compelled to work overtime because their basic salaries were too low to support their families back home. Workers also reported passport confiscation, overcrowded accommodation, poor-quality food and discriminatory treatment.
Amnesty said the abuses persisted due to weak enforcement of labour laws, the ongoing influence of the kafala sponsorship system and a sprawling subcontracting network in the construction sector. The organisation urged Saudi authorities to dismantle the kafala system, strengthen labour inspections and ensure meaningful accountability.
It also warned multinational companies operating in Saudi Arabia to conduct rigorous human rights due diligence or reconsider involvement if risks cannot be properly addressed.
"Comprehensive human rights due diligence is not optional," said Marta Schaaf, Amnesty International's Programme Director for Climate, Economic Social Justice and Corporate Accountability. "Without strong safeguards, businesses risk contributing to systematic labour abuses."
Amnesty further called on labour-origin countries, including Nepal, to monitor and penalise recruitment agencies that charge illegal fees, warning that without coordinated action "the cycle of abuse will persist."
