Gulf ‘Giga Projects’ are heightening risks for workers in sand supply chains, finds new report

A new report from IHRB's Gulf Sustain initiative identifies how geopolitics, reliance on migrant labour and governance gaps in sand supply chains in the Gulf region are putting workers at risk - and recommendations for companies to protect against forced labour and unsafe conditions.

Mapping Sand Supply Chains in the Gulf Region, published by Gulf Sustain in partnership with Newcastle University and Design for Freedom by Grace Farms, finds that major infrastructure projects across the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are driving a demand for sand that is outpacing governance oversight, creating risks for workers, with implications for global companies. 

Sand is the world’s second most consumed resource, with 50 billion tonnes extracted every year for vital industries, including construction, glass manufacturing and high-technology sectors, such as solar panels and semi-conductor chips. 

The report identifies three primary labour and social risks at different stages of the sand supply chain: 

- Complex subcontracting arrangements obscure oversight, driving a risk of worker exploitation at the construction stage.

- Exposure to silica dust and extreme heat present health risks at the processing and transportation stages.

- A governance vacuum enables the operation of illicit trade networks at the extraction stage.

The research concludes that a sand governance gap - combined with geopolitical tensions and a reliance on migrant workforces and subcontracting arrangements - contributes to a ‘complex risk environment’.

It makes practical recommendations to companies, including aligning proactive supply-chain governance - down to the sand extraction and logistics level - with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. To achieve this, it identifies technological traceability tools that can identify high-risk suppliers, such as Digital Product Passports to verify the origin, processing and handling of materials. 

Tamara Juburi, Gulf Sustain Manager, said:

“Major infrastructure projects are foundational to efforts to diversify away from oil and gas revenues in the Gulf - but social risks from the subsequent demand for sand have been underexplored, particularly compared to higher-priced resources like cobalt. This report plugs this need, identifying how a governance gap increases exposure to risks, including forced labour and health hazards. 

“Businesses are responsible for addressing labour risks throughout their supply chains. With practical solutions to ensure a sustainable and just sand economy, today’s report should be essential reading for sand-intensive companies in construction, hospitality, renewable energy and technology."

Dr. Chris Hackney, report co-author and Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Newcastle University, said:

“The transformation of the Gulf region represents one of the most resource-intensive construction drives in modern history - and sand is critical to this endeavour. But with Arabian Desert sand unsuitable for high-strength concrete, companies find themselves reliant on opaque supply chains, which blur traceability and risk labour and social harms. 

“Taken together, these factors create a unique risk environment which demands a wholesale shift from project-level compliance to supply chain-wide due diligence, powered by digital technologies and new governance standards.”

Emma Gallo, Managing Director, International Strategic Initiatives, Design for Freedom by Grace Farms, said:

“Construction is one of the sectors at highest risk of forced and child labour globally, and sand underpins so much of what the industry builds with, from concrete to glass to asphalt. Yet its supply chain is too often overlooked as a source of that risk. This report gives companies the tools they need to embed ethical sourcing into their work and build more responsibly and humanely.”