Saudi Arabia’s ambitious clean energy boom is under fire after a new report revealed systemic migrant worker abuse across flagship renewables projects, raising serious questions about the human cost of the global energy transition.

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) found that over half of the 34 Nepali and Bangladeshi workers it interviewed on nine projects reported five or more indicators of forced labor, as defined by the International Labour Organization. Abuses included wage theft, recruitment fee exploitation, extreme heat exposure above 50°C/112°F, restricted freedom of movement, intimidation, dismissal and even deaths on site. Workers described conditions as “Hell” and “like jail,” with average salaries just USD $370 per month, less than half the Saudi minimum wage.

The report linked these violations to some of the world’s largest companies and financiers. Developers and contractors include ACWA Power, Air Products, Saudi Aramco, Larsen & Toubro and PowerChina. Major international banks named as financiers include Standard Chartered, HSBC, BNP Paribas, JPMorgan Chase, Crédit Agricole, Mizuho Financial Group, and Riyad Bank. Standard Chartered, HSBC and others acknowledged social risk frameworks but avoided commenting on specific cases. ACWA Power denied wrongdoing, insisting it follows Saudi and international labor standards…