Saudi Arabia’s selection to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup has been met with a universal backlash. Whereas the Kingdom bills itself as a center of technological advancement and economic development, underscored by a series of developments like the Arabic language conversational AI app “HUMAIN Chat” and Vision 2030, its internal record is in stark contrast. Underlying this veneer of modernization are chronic violations of human rights, endemic repression of dissent, and abuse of migrant workers.
Evidence indicates that migrant laborers are subjected to dangerous working environments, delayed payments, and scorching heat, while women, religious minorities, and political dissidents remain restricted. The difference between these advances and these abuses highlights how hosting FIFA 2034 would be “sportswashing,” utilizing an international stage to present a misleading image of development.
Technological Advances: A Double-Edged Sword
Saudi Arabia’s “HUMAIN Chat”, based on the ALLaM 34B Arabic language model, is being hailed as a technological breakthrough. The AI application promises culturally accurate interactions, developed completely by local expertise, and represents the Kingdom’s avowed aspiration to be a technological and innovation hub in the world.
Although such strides are impressive on paper, they take place in a nation where fundamental freedoms are strictly limited. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have still been documenting arbitrary detention, censorship of online information, and political prisoners.
The implementation of state-of-the-art technology cannot wash away the reality of everyday citizens being deprived of liberty, implying that these programs are being deployed more to show face than for actual social advancement.
Human Rights Abuses: A Harsh Reality
Despite self-professed reforms, Saudi Arabia persists in imposing brutal judicial and legal punishments. In 2024 alone, 198 individuals were executed, which is the largest number in three decades. Such punishments are frequently directed against political dissidents and activists who are convicted on ambiguous charges. Apart from executions, the nation continues to engage in flogging, amputations, and other harsh punishments, even for non-violent crimes.
Furthermore, women, religious minorities, and political dissidents are subject to systematic discrimination. Although some cosmetic reforms have been proposed, including the driving of women, the male guardianship regime still exists, restricting women’s freedom. LGBTI+ people remain criminalized, and Shia Muslims are discriminated against in education, employment, and political life.
Migrant Workers: The Backbone of World Cup Projects
Saudi Arabia’s preparations for the 2034 World Cup are built on migrant labor, with its workers subjected to tough and hazardous working conditions. Human Rights Watch and FairSquare reports show that Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepali, and other workers are regularly exposed to dangerous working conditions, heat, and lengthy working hours. Some of the main concerns are:
- Delayed and withheld wages leave families economically exposed.
- Worker deaths that are underreported or misclassified prevent families from seeking justice.
Unlike Qatar’s 2022 World Cup, which implemented some labor protections, Saudi Arabia has yet to enforce comprehensive safeguards, leaving these workers highly vulnerable. This human cost raises serious ethical concerns about supporting the event.
FIFA’s Role: Complicity or Oversight?
FIFA’s choice to host the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia has drawn international criticism. Amnesty International decried FIFA’s assessment as an “astonishing whitewash” of the record on human rights within the Kingdom, citing a lack of binding promises against worker exploitation and political repression.
Human Rights Watch has likewise charged that FIFA circumvented its own due diligence and human rights procedures, literally turning a blind eye to the case in the host nation. By supporting Saudi Arabia, FIFA becomes complicit in condoning oppressive behavior, creating a moral concern about the integrity of the organization and its adherence to universal human rights standards.
The Mirage of Reform: Taking a Closer Look
While Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has brought about some reforms, such as granting women the right to drive and curbing the religious police, these reforms are symbolic at best. The root systemic problems remain unresolved.
- Women remain subject to the restrictions of the male guardianship system, and LGBTI+ individuals are at risk of criminalization. Shia Muslims constitute approximately 10-15% subjected to bad treatment.
- Political activists and journalists face detention, harassment, or even execution. This includes the execution of the prominent journalist Turki al-Jasser in June 2025
In this context, Saudi Arabia’s claims of modernization appear more geared toward global image-building than actual social transformation. Hosting FIFA 2034 without addressing these systemic problems could legitimize superficial reforms while ignoring ongoing abuses.
The Ethical Dilemma: Should Football Be Used as a Tool for Reform?
The investment by the Kingdom in high-profile sporting events, such as FIFA 2034, seems to be with the intention of enhancing global perception and not to implement true social change. The behavior, frequently described as “sportswashing,” distracts from the continuous disregard for human rights and displays a cleaned-up representation of the nation to the globe.
Football clubs, sponsors, and authorities are in a moral dilemma. Backing Saudi Arabia without calling for accountability might be contributing to oppression and exclusion. Opponents believe that international sporting events should never be a platform to give credence to regimes with verifiable human rights violations. Rather, they should uphold equity, justice, and inclusion.
Sportswashing and Global Perception
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of large sporting events, such as FIFA 2034, is generally interpreted as a calculated “sportswashing” effort. Through billions of investment in stadiums, high-end hotels, and AI tools like HUMAIN Chat, the Kingdom aims to project itself as modern and developing.
These public relations campaigns cover up systemic abuses, such as the exploitation of migrant laborers and the silencing of dissent. Global audiences risk being misled into equating technological and economic development with social justice. Recognizing sportswashing is essential for fans, sponsors, and governing bodies to avoid inadvertently legitimizing a regime whose practices conflict with international human rights standards.
A Call for Accountability
With FIFA 2034 looming, the world has to think long and hard about hosting the championship in Saudi Arabia. Advances in technology and state-of-the-art infrastructure cannot be allowed to cover up ongoing human rights abuses, exploitation of migrant labor, or institutionalized repression of women and minorities.
FIFA, sponsors, and supporters need to critically assess whether hosting fits into the values of fairness, justice, and human dignity. Only by meaningful reforms, transparency, and accountability will Saudi Arabia be able to host an event that reflects the values of sport and inclusiveness.