- Work is underway to build 11 stadiums in Saudi Arabia for the 2034 World Cup
- One migrant worker fell to his death while building a stadium earlier this month
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Is England’s squad good enough to win the World Cup?
By SAM BROOKES
A migrant worker has died in Saudi Arabia while building a stadium ahead of the 2034 World Cup, according to reports.
Saudi Arabia was given hosting rights by FIFA back in December, and work has already begun on building 11 venues for football’s biggest global tournament.
As reported by The Guardian, Muhammad Arshad from Pakistan fell to his death from the upper level of the Aramco Stadium on March 12. It is understood that he is the first migrant worker to die while building World Cup stadiums in Saudi Arabia.
Besix Group, one of the main contractors at the stadium, confirmed Arshad’s death in a statement.
The statement read: ‘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.
Muhammad Arshad (pictured) from Pakistan has reportedly died while building a World Cup stadium
Arshad passed away after falling from the upper level of the Aramco Stadium (final design pictured above)
FIFA president Gianni Infantino named Saudi Arabia as World Cup hosts in December
Despite emergency services being called ‘the worker sadly succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Besix also revealed Arshad’s fellow workers had been asked not to share any photos or videos of the tragic incident.
They 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.
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.
Arshad was pictured at the stadium last September, highlighting how he had been involved in building it for at least six months prior to his death.
Arshad leaves behind three sons aged between two and seven. His body was flown back to Pakistan earlier this week, and his father, Muhammad Bashir, spoke of his family’s devastation over their loss.
He told The Guardian: ‘We have just fallen from the sky to the ground. The whole family is in a state of shock.
‘It will have a long-lasting impact on their lives. Arshad’s income was their only source of living. We will have to bear their living and educational expenses. We will try to meet their needs.
Arshad’s death comes after human rights groups criticised FIFA for awarding the World Cup to Saudi Arabia.
Amnesty International reacted to December’s vote by stating: ‘Migrant workers will face exploitation and many will die.
FIFA declined to comment.
