Construction Firms Building "Beast Land" Linked to Human Trafficking

Before sunrise, the desert outside Riyadh is already hot. By noon, the temperature hovers near 46 °C. At the construction site of Beast Land, the new theme park backed by American YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson — better known as MrBeast — the heat presses down like a lid.

Dozens of workers, mostly from South and Southeast Asia, spend their days pouring concrete and welding steel under the open sun. Some have been here for over a year. Several say they were promised air-conditioned rest areas that never materialized. Others say water rations were cut short when supply trucks failed to arrive on time.

At least three men have reportedly died on site since April, according to workers interviewed off-camera and two individuals familiar with the project’s safety records. One death was blamed on cardiac arrest; another followed a fall from scaffolding. “They said it was an accident,” a Bangladeshi worker told reporters. “But it was the heat. Everyone knows it.”

Workers describe twelve- to fourteen-hour shifts, sometimes stretching past midnight to meet opening deadlines. Many claim their passports were taken by recruitment agencies upon arrival and wages delayed for weeks. Several said they cannot afford to return home until their contracts end.

Saudi officials overseeing the project deny any wrongdoing. In a brief statement, the Ministry of Human Resources said Beast Land “operates in full compliance with national and international labor standards” and that “all safety incidents have been properly investigated.”

MrBeast’s representatives have not responded to repeated requests for comment.

The park — advertised as a “world-class adventure destination” — is slated to open this month as part of Riyadh Season, the kingdom’s massive tourism initiative. Billboards across the city show the American influencer smiling beside roller coasters and obstacle courses inspired by his viral challenges.

At the work camp twenty kilometers away, the men who built those rides wait for buses in the evening heat. They speak in quiet tones about the ones who didn’t make it, and about the families who still don’t know. One worker from Nepal, his hands raw from cement dust, said he plans to leave when his contract expires. “Maybe they’ll remember us,” he said. Then he looked back toward the skyline, where the park’s lights were being tested for the first time. “But I don’t think they will.”