--- title: "A Staggering Number of Workers Have Reportedly Died While Building Saudi Arabia’s 100-Mile Skyscraper" description: "As Saudi Arabia pushes ever forward with its futuristic NEOM project, the endeavor's staggering death toll has been revealed." date: "2024-11-01" modified: "2024-11-01" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/workers-died-saudi-arabia-neom" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "labor" - "neom" - "Saudi Arabia" - "the digest" --- # A Staggering Number of Workers Have Reportedly Died While Building Saudi Arabia’s 100-Mile Skyscraper ![As Saudi Arabia pushes ever forward with its futuristic NEOM project, the endeavor's staggering death toll has been revealed.]() *\Image: NEOM\* ## Progress Pains As Saudi Arabia pushes ever forward with its [massive and unprecedented construction projects](), the death toll has reportedly been staggering. In a new documentary from the [United Kingdom's *Channel 3*](), this dirty big secret is aired as a female journalist goes undercover there to learn the Saudis' secrets. In the process of her reporting, the anonymous reporter discovers an extremely inconvenient truth: during the course of its [multitrillion-dollar Vision 2030 project]() — which was launched in 2017 and includes its in-progress \[right?\] [100-mile skyscraper]() called "The Line" within its [futuristic NEOM development]() — more than 21,000 foreign workers on it have died. The majority of the people who have died while working on Vision 2030 come from South Asian countries like Bangladesh, India, and Nepal — and those who are still alive told the anonymous undercover reporter in stark terms how horrendous their work conditions are. Despite some [half-baked attempts]() at labor reform, migrant workers in Saudi Arabia are subjected to [extreme exploitation]() that [borders on slavery](). Indeed, during the documentary, some of the workers tasked with building trenches and railway tunnels in NEOM said they are "treated like beggars" and forced to work 16-hour days. "There is little time to rest," the worker said. "We get tired. We suffer from anxiety day and night." ## Accidents Happen It's unsurprising that under such conditions — exacerbated by the [Saudis' bid to host the World Cup]() in 2034 in a soccer stadium that hasn't yet been built — accidents are common. Given the [uber-secretive nature]() of the kingdom, however, it's impossible to know the true extent of how many injuries and casualties have occurred. News of NEOM's gruesome death toll follows prior reporting about the [tens of thousands of indigenous people]() who have been forcibly removed to make way for the 100-mile-long city. As the [*BBC* revealed earlier this year](), Saudi officials were instructed to kill any non-compliant members of the Huwaitat tribe who inhabited the desert region. When [*The Guardian* asked NEOM]() about the claims made in the *Channel 3* documentary, a representative said the project is "assessing the claims made in this \[program\] and, where required, will take appropriate action." "We require all contractors and subcontractors to comply with NEOM’s code of conduct," the representative continued, "based on the laws of Saudi Arabia." It's a reminder of the [nightmarish reality experienced by laborers]() in the Saudi kingdom — and that we get much of our [planet-killing]() fossil fuels [from a monarchy]() that values [profits]() over people to such an extreme degree. **More on chilling labor stats:** *[That AI You’re Using Was Trained By Slave Labor, Basically]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()