Mystery surronds Pakistani engineer's death while working at Saudi megacity

A 25-year-old Pakistani engineer working at Saudi Arabia's under-construction Neom megacity lost his life after a guardrail reportedly fell on him. However, authorities have yet to provide the deceased man's family with evidence or details surrounding the incident.

The death of Abdul Wali Skandar Khan, a father of two employed by a Chinese company, was reported by UK-based rights group Alqst. The incident occurred on December 28, 2023.

On January 2, 2024, the deceased man's brother, who is a British-Pakistani citizen, traveled to Saudi Arabia to retrieve Skandar Khan's body.

Despite assurances from authorities to cooperate with the family regarding the investigation, provide compensation, and share CCTV footage of the incident, none of these commitments have been fulfilled.

According to Middle East Eye, the family stated that Saudi authorities have neither conducted a thorough investigation into the cause of Khan's death nor made timely arrangements for the transfer of his body.

China Comserve, Khan’s employer, and Saudi authorities have not responded to requests for comment on the incident.

Saudi authorities reportedly submitted a minimal compensation amount to the Pakistani embassy in Saudi Arabia. However, the family has not yet received the funds.

Controversy regarding death thousands of workers at NEOM project

A documentary aired by British broadcaster ITV has reported that around 21,000 workers have died while building Saudi Arabia’s "The Line," a high-tech megacity within the NEOM project, raising serious concerns over labor conditions and human rights standards on the site.

According to the documentary, since construction began in 2017, at least 21,000 workers have reportedly died on various NEOM projects, and over 100,000 workers have gone missing.

Many of the laborers, primarily from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, described the working conditions as “horrific,” claiming they are forced to work 16-hour shifts and face mistreatment and inadequate wages, making them feel like “trapped slaves.”

Middle East Monitor, citing Newsweek, reported that Nepal's foreign employment board confirmed the deaths of 650 Nepali workers at NEOM, though the exact causes of death remain unverified.

The documentary revealed that five people have died and several others have been arrested after refusing to vacate their homes for the NEOM construction.

Saudi authorities, however, have strongly denied these claims, calling the statistics "misinformation."

They cited data from the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, stating that the country has one of the lowest rates of work-related fatalities, 1.12 per 100,000 workers.

The council also noted that the International Labour Organization praised Saudi Arabia for improving labor conditions.

Recently, NEOM’s CEO, Nadhmi al-Nasr, who managed the megacity's construction since 2018, was abruptly dismissed without any official explanation.

Middle East Eye reported that al-Nasr allegedly admitted to exploiting workers, reportedly saying, “When they drop down dead, I celebrate. That’s how I do my projects.”

On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that several other executives were also fired, accused of mocking Islam and engaging in an altercation with an employee.