November 7, 2025
DHAKA – At least 600 migrant workers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye employed by Saudi Arabian Baytur Construction Company have not received their salaries for at least eight months, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement today.
The workers, employed at the $26 billion Masar redevelopment project in Mecca, resorted to work stoppages and strikes after months of unpaid wages. Eleven migrant workers were detained and later released, HRW said.
The project is funded by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
“The blatant wage theft against low-wage migrant workers by a company involved in a multi-billion-dollar project in Mecca speaks volumes about Saudi authorities’ broken wage protection system,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director of HRW.
“These unpaid workers continue to face retribution, including intimidation and detention, for demanding their contractually owed wages,” added Michael.
In October 2025, Human Rights Watch conducted four interviews, including with two former Baytur migrant workers, one of whom is now back in their home country and owed more than 150,000 Saudi riyals (around $39,997) in unpaid wages and benefits, and with Turkish union officials.
HRW also reviewed media reports and social media posts and analysed video clips related to the strikes. Many workers refused to be interviewed, fearing retribution from Saudi authorities.
The rights watchdog wrote to Saudi Arabia’s Human Resources and Social Development Ministry, Saudi Arabian Baytur, Umm Al Qura Development & Construction, and the PIF, asking for more details and clarifications regarding the case.
Only Saudi Arabia’s Human Resources Ministry responded, stating that the case was detected and that “corrective action was taken in coordination with the company, the affected workers, and their embassies.”
According to HRW, the migrant workers had been paid irregularly over the last two years and not paid anything in the last few months. Several workers were also working under what are known as free visas, a sponsorship arrangement in which their visa is not tied to the Saudi Arabian Baytur.
The company was aware of this arrangement.
Saudi Human Resources Ministry confirmed Baytur’s noncompliance owing to “financial difficulties related to its operations”.