Saudi Arabia: Pakistani dies during stadium construction for Football WC 2034

Al-Khobar: A Pakistani migrant worker has died while building a new stadium in Saudi Arabia for the Football World Cup 2034.

According to a media report, Mohammad Arshad died after falling from a high-rise building during the construction of the Aramco Stadium in the city of Al-Khobar earlier this month.

This is the first death of a migrant worker associated with the construction of the 2034 World Cup, which comes just three months after the Gulf state was named the host of the tournament.

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

The company said in a statement that a team of three workers was engaged in a formwork operation (making molds for concrete) at height when the platform they were working on was tilted. All three were equipped with personal fall arrest systems, but one worker was not attached to the anchor point at the time of the incident and fell, causing him to suffer serious injuries. Emergency services were called immediately, but “the worker sadly succumbed to his injuries in hospital.”

It is not clear how long Arshad had been working at the stadium, where he was said to have worked as a foreman.

“Out of respect for the victim’s family, workers have been asked not to share images of the aftermath of this tragic accident on social media,” the company said in a statement.

According to the British newspaper ‘The Guardian’, Arshad’s body was brought to Pakistan earlier this week and was buried near his home in the northwestern region of the country.

Arshad, who was about 30 years old, has three children aged between 2 and 7. His death will have a lasting impact on the lives of these children.

His father, Muhammad Bashir, said that Arshad’s income was his only source of livelihood, we would have to bear the children’s living and educational expenses, and we would try to meet their needs.

He stated that although his son’s employer has not yet contacted him directly, a relative in Saudi Arabia has assured Bashir that his family will receive Arshad’s outstanding salary and benefits.

Under Saudi labor laws, employers are also required to pay compensation in the event of death while at work.

Basics said they have taken steps to support the family and ensure that all payments are handled in a timely and respectful manner.

Construction of the 47,000-seat Aramco Stadium is in its final stages, with thousands of migrant workers, most of them from Bangladesh and Pakistan, working in two shifts.

It is being built by Aramco, a company linked to the state oil business, which recently became FIFA’s most profitable sponsor.