Saudi Arabia’s renewable sector faces human rights backlash

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Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy sector is facing concerns over the treatment of migrant workers, with new research finding that workers who reported abuses haven’t yet received compensation or other forms of remedy.

A study by the Business and Human Rights Centre found that multinational companies and financial institutions linked to renewable energy projects had failed to provide adequate responses to reported labour abuses identified in 2025.

Catriona Fraser, Migrant Workers Researcher, Business and Human Rights Centre, said: “When asked, workers told us exactly what remedy they want: the immediate repayment of recruitment fees and stolen wages, protection from the extreme heat, and salaries that can relieve their families from cycles of poverty and debt. What they have received instead is silence.”

The organisation re-interviewed workers in 2026 and found that none had received any form of remedy.

There were 14 out of 17 workers who remained with the same employers said their working conditions had not improved.

Also, 10 workers reported increased financial insecurity, debt and deteriorating working conditions, including new alleged violations. Some also reported heightened safety concerns linked to regional conflict.

Workers called for immediate improvements to working conditions, longer-term compensation and measures to prevent further abuses.

The findings raise questions about labour standards as Saudi Arabia accelerates investment in renewable energy infrastructure.