When FIFA bestowed hosting of the 2034 World Cup on Saudi Arabia, the choice enraged human rights campaigners, media and civil society across the globe. The step was being promoted as a part of Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” – a grand plan to transform the kingdom into a world center for sport and entertainment. But […]
Saudi Arabia recently broke the news of a far-reaching reform of its national curriculum, introducing new subjects such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Tourism and Hospitality, Fashion, Art and Design, and First Aid. The Saudi Press Agency, which is owned by the government, hailed the changes as a “strategic modernization effort” aimed at aligning with Vision […]
Football is supposed to bring people together across borders, cultures, and classes. The World Cup is a festival of inclusion where every fan, worker, and player is significant. But in 2034, FIFA intends to award its showcase tournament to Saudi Arabia, a nation with a track record of mass arrests, migrant exploitation, deadly border violence, […]
The latest news that Saudi Arabia is hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup has created controversies globally. As much as it is exciting to visualize watching international football in the Middle East, the actual issues at hand must be explained. The latest political, economic, and environmental policies of Saudi Arabia make it complicated for it […]
Saudi Arabia is doing everything it can to smooth out its international reputation ahead of hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup, but beneath the vow of reform is a carefully thought-out diversion. The Saudi Audit Authority recently signed a cooperation agreement with South Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection, hailing it as an attempt at […]
The news that Saudi Arabia will be hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup has triggered international controversy, triggering fierce opposition from human rights groups, democracy activists, and dismayed sports supporters. The world’s greatest sporting event should stand for unity, parity, and equal competition—not be utilized as a mechanism for sportswashing by regimes with abysmal human […]
Imagine spending 13 hours a day working inside an oven, only to emerge outside in blistering summer temperatures of more than 45°C. This is the daily life of Baker Eid Ahmed, a 35-year-old Egyptian worker in Riyadh. With a cold bottle of water and a damp cloth as his companions, Ahmed struggles through long shifts […]
Recent events in Saudi Arabia have overshadowed the Kingdom’s ambitious intentions to stage the 2034 FIFA World Cup. On Friday, authorities of the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority (ZATCA) managed to seize 28.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed within a container carrying frozen meat at the Jeddah Islamic Port. This most recent seizure demonstrates not just […]
Saudi Arabia’s win of the rights to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup has been greeted by some as a beacon of the modernization of the kingdom. However, the recent remarks by ex-Saudi intelligence head Prince Turki Al-Faisal bring to the fore a jarring contradiction that should be of grave concern to the international community. […]
When Saudi Arabia won the rights to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, government leaders celebrated it as a “historic opportunity” to highlight the kingdom to the world. But more recent economic figures from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) present a different narrative. One of the increasing financial stresses, excessive dependence on fluctuating oil revenues, […]