Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA) have urged FIFA to delay selecting Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 World Cup unless significant human rights reforms are introduced before next month’s vote. The upcoming FIFA Congress is set to formally approve hosts for both the 2030 and 2034 tournaments, with Morocco-Spain-Portugal as the only bid for 2030 and Saudi Arabia standing as the sole contender for 2034.
Amnesty and the SRA, after reviewing the human rights plans presented by the bidding nations, stated in a new report that neither bid fully meets FIFA’s human rights criteria. They noted that the risks in Saudi Arabia are particularly concerning, warning that hosting the World Cup there could result in “severe and widespread” human rights abuses.
“There will be a real and predictable human cost to awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without obtaining credible guarantees of reform,” Steve Cockburn, Amnesty’s head of labor rights and sport, commented in a statement.
FIFA announced that the evaluation reports for the 2030 and 2034 World Cup bids will be released prior to its special Congress on December 11.
Apart from the migrant workers, another key concern has been the potential for discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals in Saudi Arabia, where same-sex sexual acts can carry severe penalties, including the death penalty. In response, Hammad Albalawi, head of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid unit, stated in September that LGBTQ fans would be welcomed, assuring that their privacy would be respected, and noted that millions of fans have visited the country for major sporting events in recent years.
Can Saudi Arabia replicate Qatar’s success at the 2034 World Cup?
Qatar became the first Middle Eastern nation to host the men’s World Cup last year, and despite past diplomatic tensions between the two Gulf countries, Saudi vice-minister of sport, Bader Alkadi, has praised Qatar’s handling of the event.
“Like the pride you had in the UK when you hosted the Olympics, like how proud we are about us beating Argentina at the World Cup. And Qatar, we’re proud of what other countries have done delivering an excellent World Cup,” Alkadi said at the Leaders sports conference in London. “Definitely we want to have this at home. And we want to ensure that we develop our country to host such events at a high standard.”
When questioned about the fan experience in Qatar, where alcohol was banned in stadiums just a week before the tournament, Alkadi remarked that fans enjoyed a distinctive experience. “We truly commend our colleagues in Qatar for making it possible, and it’s certainly something we would aim to emulate,” he added.
Saudi Arabia’s bid proposal outlined plans to construct or upgrade 15 stadiums in time for the World Cup, with completion targeted by 2032. In addition, over 185,000 new hotel rooms will be developed ahead of the event.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
