Saudi Arabia’s recent execution of journalist Turki Al-Jasser after seven years in prison for social media posts critical of the regime starkly illustrates the kingdom’s ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression and human rights. This event, emblematic of a broader pattern of repression, raises urgent ethical questions about FIFA’s decision to award Saudi Arabia the […]
Football is at a crossroads in the globe. As the global platform of justice, happiness, and global oneness, FIFA sacrificed its integrity by choosing Saudi Arabia—a country with a terrible record in human rights—host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Staging this global football event in Saudi Arabia undermines the values football would otherwise embrace. […]
On June 6, 2025, at least 13 Iranian pilgrims passed away while attending the Hajj pilgrimage this year in Saudi Arabia, primarily due to excessive heat and presumably negligence in being responsible for the health and well-being of foreign visitors. While such tragedies have become inconveniently commonplace during the traditional pilgrimage each year, this tragedy […]
In a world that is increasingly aware of human rights, transparency, and freedom, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)’s latest move to turn down an invitation to the G7 Summit for the second time comes with some very alarming questions. Not only regarding the geopolitical alignment of the kingdom, but also its compatibility to […]
In football, the transfer market can itself be a show. Names float around, rumors spread, and club allegiances are strained. But some transfers—particularly those of the Saudi Pro League—are more than a football business. They are all part of a bigger, calculated strategy to change public perception. The recent reports that Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen […]
FIFA granted the Saudi Arabian Kingdom hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup despite international criticism of the Kingdom’s continued human rights violations, authoritarianism, and diplomatic leveraging of international forums to whitewash its image—a corruption tactic called “sportswashing.” Saudi Arabia’s new batch of economic alliances—Bashar al-Assad’s Syria included—is revealing the Kingdom’s true agenda: regional dominance, […]
As everyone celebrated World Environment Day on June 5, Saudi Arabia returned to the headlines—again, not for its exports of oil or human rights issues, but for its eco-ambitious vision: NEOM, a $500 billion city of the future. Press reports revealed an idyllic vision of NEOM as an eco-paradise. Falcons flying over restored wilderness areas, […]
With the world slowly moving toward the much-awaited Saudi 2034 FIFA World Cup, the international discourse is already heading in the direction of the grand show that is to be staged. But under the shine and beauty of cutting-edge stadiums and assurances of future cities, a harrowing truth necessitates a responsible and effective boycott of […]
As the world’s spotlight turns to the possibility of Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup, a shadow looms over the sparkle and fanfare. Hidden beneath the shiny stadiums and hyperbolic boasts is a grim, haunting truth: Saudi Arabia’s clandestine “rehabilitation” prisons for rowdy women, known as Dar al-Reaya. These so-called care homes are […]
Last Monday, a high-ranking Saudi official categorically dismissed speculation that the kingdom plans to end its decades-old prohibition of alcohol in the country as part of preparations for hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The denial was made after global headlines were triggered by an unverified blog article claiming that alcohol sales could be allowed […]