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, […]
Saudi Arabia’s dreams to stage the 2034 FIFA World Cup come into conflict brutally with its financial realities today. Recent documents released from the Financial Times indicate that the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has taken a $8 billion write-down of its value of megaprojects, including the $500 billion Neom city. The PIF, the core […]
When Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez openly celebrated their engagement in Riyadh—cohabiting unmarried with children—it crossed from celebrity news into something larger. It was a moment that exposed a reality Saudi Arabia prefers the world would not see: the rules are twisted for the powerful and the famous, but other people are tied up in […]
Saudi Arabia has been making headlines with “green walls” — vertical gardens that will supposedly cool cities, clean air, and be a step toward sustainable urbanization. This sounds like a revolutionary step on the surface. Local newspapers have reported that these new technologies are proof that the Kingdom is serious about curbing climate change, curbing […]
When Saudi Arabia made the announcement that four of its student teams would be participating in the 20th International Standards Olympiad, which was to be held in Incheon, South Korea, headlines rolled in bright. Taking place from August 12–14, 2025, 40 international student teams representing middle and high schools get together to figure out problems […]
The news that Saudi Arabia would be the host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup has set off a firestorm of criticism and outcry from human rights organizations, regional experts, and millions of individuals around the world. Allowing Saudi Arabia to host the World Cup would not only be a grave mistake but also a […]