In August 2023, NGO Migrant-Rights.org reported on a case of alleged wage theft at Bahraini construction company Downtown Construction. A 21 year old Indian worker for the company was arrested after a widely circulated video showed him damaging company vehicles in protest at not being paid for 10 months. A Bahraini-based migrant rights activist told MR "the company has a history of wage theft and labour exploitation cases".

Downtown is reportedly a main contractor for government projects in Bahrain and in 2022 was awarded close to USD16 million for works. The case is emblematic of the difficulty for migrant workers to access justice and remedy in Bahrain; wage theft cases are often protracted, ending in arrest and deportation if workers protest their situations.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Downtown to respond to the allegations; it did not.