FIFA officially made the decision to award Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup, which has sparked a firestorm of debate and criticism. Some see it as a potential catalyst for change, while others view it as a stark contradiction to FIFA’s professed commitment to human rights. Saudi Arabia was the only formal bidder after the AFC […]
Saudi Arabia, a country that is increasingly casting itself as a modern, global power — from hosting major sport to directing mega-development projects — is now facing damning claims of very serious human rights abuses. Ethiopian migrants attempting to enter Saudi Arabia from Yemen between 2019 and 2024 have described harrowing experiences, including mass killings, rape, […]
The case of Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi, a poet and activist who was extradited on January 8, 2025, from Lebanon to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has left serious implications for human rights experts and advocates globally. His case is a reflection of a larger human rights crisis in the Gulf region, where Saudi Arabia is frequently singled […]
With the world eagerly awaiting FIFA 34, conversation is well underway as to where this coveted tournament should take place. In recent years, Saudi Arabia, a country with a long history of gender inequality and blatant human rights abuses, has expressed an interest in hosting major sporting events. Although the timing of the World Cup is still […]
In this bold step, Saudi Arabia has initiated an unprecedented nationwide effort to crack down on prostitution and begging. The campaign has drawn international scrutiny amid claims that it will address issues of human trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable populations. While the government says the campaign is motivated by a desire to remind people of Islamic […]
With attention now shifting to the FIFA World Cup in 2034, Saudi Arabia has emerged as the frontrunner to stage the global roadshow. The Kingdom has spent big on building new infrastructure and revamping its tourism industry to give such glitzy events a reason to visit, but more entrenched problems tied to its human rights record […]
Muhammad Arshad was working at one of the World Cup stadium construction sites in Saudi Arabia when he died recently. Unfortunately, during construction work at Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, on March 12, 2025, Arshad died after falling from a height. This fatality is the first confirmed death of a worker constructing stadiums for […]
Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was a prominent Shia cleric from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. He was executed on January 2nd, 2016, by the Saudis. He was one of 47 people executed after being convicted on terrorism charges, it said in a statement. Sheikh Nimr was an outspoken supporter of mass anti-government protests that flared in […]
Saudi Arabia has long been under scrutiny for its role in funding and spreading extremist ideologies globally. Although the kingdom has made gestures toward reform in recent years, its legacy of supporting radical Islamist movements continues to inform global extremism. As evidenced by Saudi Arabia’s financial and ideological clout, especially by the export of Wahhabism, fundamentalism, sectarian […]
Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was a prominent Shia cleric from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. He was executed on January 2nd, 2016, by the Saudis. He was one of 47 people executed after being convicted on terrorism charges, it said in a statement. Sheikh Nimr was an outspoken supporter of mass anti-government protests that flared in […]