Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 has become a huge debate. The kingdom has serious ethical issues because of its continuous human rights abuses. However, they are faking great infrastructure projects in efforts to improve their global image. Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations record goes directly against FIFA’s own human rights standards, from labor exploitation to gender inequality, censorship of free speech, and abuse of LGBTQ+ rights. In this article, we will discuss reasons why Saudi Arabia is not fit to host a prestigious event like FIFA World Cup 2034:
Particularly for World Cup-related building work, Saudi Arabia depends much on migrant labor. Many of the 13.4 million people that constitute about 42% of Saudi Arabia’s population are migrant workers who suffer severe human rights violations under the well-known Kafala system (sponsorship system), which gives employers excessive power over the residence and employment status of their employees.
Debt bondage—where recruitment firms charge high fees essentially enslaving workers in cycles of debt—is among the systematic abuses experienced by migrant labor involved with stadium and infrastructure projects, according to Amnesty International’s 2023 inquiry. Saudi Arabian citizen rights are nowhere to be seen.
FIFA has neglected its promises by awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia—where comparable or even more serious abuses endure. Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch Minky Worden said: “Willfully ignorant to the human rights history of the nation, FIFA is laying the groundwork for a decade of possibly dreadful human rights violations ready for the 2034 World Cup.”
Regarding freedom of speech and political expression, Saudi Arabia has one of the most restrictive governments on the planet. Using arbitrary arrests, torture, and execution, the government ruthlessly muzzles journalists, advocates, and dissidents. Manal al-Gafiri, an 18-year-old, was sent to jail for 18 years as he supported the political prisoners on his social media.
According to Amnesty International: “Organizing the World Cup in a land where freedom of speech is prohibited fosters a culture of terror.”
Though Saudi Arabia has been slowly improving women’s rights, it is still one of the most gender-segregated nations on the planet. Roughly 35% of Saudi women have suffered violence, but institutional problems including the male guardianship system and poor enforcement of domestic violence laws compromise their ability to find justice. It shows how women are treated in Saudi Arabia.
Dr Maryam Aldossari, a Saudi Activist said: ‘’Previously, women have been used to represent progress whereas those fighting for these rights have been jailed or silenced’’.
Under Sharia law, Saudi Arabia punishes same-sex partnerships from jail times to execution. For LGBTQ+ rights, the nation is among the most awful on the globe.
Amnesty International cautioned against: ‘’The 2034 World Cup will occur in a land where members of the LGBTQ+ community live in fear, therefore flouting FIFA’s ideals’’.
Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid is regarded as an effort at “sportwashing“—the use of big athletic events to enhance its world image while distracting from human rights abuses.
Freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia is very restricted. The 2023 Freedom House assessment shows the country rates 0/4 on religious freedom, meaning severe restrictions. The government strictly interprets Sharia law, punishing apostates and blasphemy. Moreover, with penalties ranging from jail time to death.
Prohibited are non-Muslim religious activities as well as churches and temples not permitted to be constructed; the 2022 International Religious Freedom Report by the US State Department notes that public evangelism is outlawed. Moreover, fringing religious events, the Saudi administration keeps close watch over religious expression, therefore non-Islamists are present in a repressive environment. Accordingly, boycott the Saudi 2034 FIFA World Cup Always!
“In Saudi, Democratic, the democracy is limited, and this is an issue of fans and reporters and international players in 2034.”
Saudi Arabia’s use of sportswashing to divert from its repressive policies puts FIFA at a turning point: should it emphasize human rights or rather reward nations for their financial and political leverage? Presenting the World Cup to a country with so many problems sends a bad signal to the world that human rights violations may be disregarded in favor of financial gain. FIFA risks encouraging autocratic governments and weakening the values of fairness, respect, and equality that football is supposed to epitomize.
