Fire at Riyadh sofa factory kills 16 Bangladeshi workers
A fire at a sofa manufacturing factory in Riyadh has killed 16 Bangladeshi migrant workers, according to officials in Bangladesh, in one of the latest deadly incidents involving the country’s large expatriate workforce in Saudi Arabia.
The blaze broke out Sunday in the Musa Sanaiya industrial area of the Saudi capital, Reuters reported, citing officials in Dhaka. The victims were all Bangladeshi nationals.
📌 16 Bangladeshis killed in Saudi sofa factory fire
— Context 360 (@NewsContext360) August 10, 2026
Saudi Arabia remains largest destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers, with an estimated 3.5 million living and working in the Kingdom.#SaudiArabia #Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/TnsmB9CLps
The circumstances that led to the fire and the cause of the blaze were not immediately clear. Further details about the victims and whether anyone else was injured were also not immediately available.
The deaths were confirmed by Bangladesh’s authorities on Monday, with the country’s Foreign Ministry expressing grief over the loss of its citizens and offering condolences to their families.
Riyadh’s industrial districts host large migrant workforce
The fire occurred in an industrial area of Riyadh, where manufacturing and other businesses employ workers from across Asia and other parts of the world.
Bangladeshis make up one of Saudi Arabia’s largest expatriate communities. Arab News previously reported that about 2.8mn Bangladeshis were working in the Kingdom, citing Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Al-Duhailan. The community is employed across a wide range of sectors and plays a significant role in the economic links between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh have also been expanding their economic ties, with Saudi companies involved in projects spanning ports, energy and infrastructure in Bangladesh. The movement of Bangladeshi workers to the Kingdom remains an important part of the relationship between the two countries.
Kursiv also reports that Chinese authorities have frozen corporate bank accounts and detained factory staff following a catastrophic blaze that killed 28 people at a major footwear plant in Jinjiang.
