Saudi Arabia tends to advertise its affluent cultural heritage, combining centuries-old traditions with contemporary ways of life. A good example is the “sabi”, a ceremony seven days after the birth of a child. This ceremony includes prayer for the good health of the newborn, symbolic rituals such as shaving the baby, sharing food with neighbors, and occasionally the religious slaughtering of sheep, referred to as aqiqah. They welcome parties with music, party-themed gifts, and online posts, creating an image of warmth, family, and community.
Though such traditions exemplify cultural diversity, they stand in stark contrast to the human rights record of the kingdom. Behind the artfully constructed public image, Saudi Arabia represses political opposition, censors the press, discriminates against women, and abuses migrant workers. Cultural festivals, such as the sabi, can be used to divert international attention away from endemic abuses. Bringing the FIFA 2034 World Cup to such a nation threatens to reward a regime that values image over justice and human dignity.
Human Rights Abuses in Saudi Arabia
Contrary to its claims of being culturally advanced, Saudi Arabia has a terrible human rights record. The country often targets critics, activists, and journalists. The killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 left the world stunned and accentuated the regime’s intolerance of criticism.
Saudi Arabia is ranked 166th among 180 nations in the World Press Freedom Index 2024, reflecting severe curbs on freedom of expression and the media. Citizens face jail, torture, or even death if they protest against the government. Random detentions are widespread, and people alleged to be dissenters frequently receive secret trials or biased legal processes. These actions contradict FIFA’s values of fairness, transparency, and respect for human rights in a straightjacket manner.
Exploitation of Migrant Laborers
The country’s modernization drive, including the building of mega-projects and sporting infrastructure, hugely depends on migrant workers, many from the Indian subcontinent and Africa. Human Rights Watch reports suggest the existence of large-scale exploitation, ranging from hazardous working environments, delayed payments, long working hours, to limited freedom of movement.
Whereas the sabi culture can stimulate local enterprises, including event organizers and luxury baby boutiques, migrant laborers are subjected to systematic exploitation in constructing the nation’s infrastructure in support of its global brand. Guesting FIFA 2034 without reforming these labor abuses would, in effect, condone a system that accrues its wealth at the expense of exploitation yet presents cultural refinement.
Gender Inequality
The sabi also depicts the gendered social norms of the kingdom. More sacrificial offerings may be given to male children, a deep-rooted practice that favors males. This inequality in a microcosm is a reflection of the greater discrimination within society: women in Saudi Arabia remain subject to restrictions under guardianship legislation, curbing autonomy over travel, education, and work.
Saudi Arabia stands at 126 out of 146 on gender equality, as indicated by the Global Gender Gap Report 2024 by the World Economic Forum. Women occupy merely 19.9% of seats in government.
While reforms have allowed some women to drive and participate in sports, these changes are largely superficial and fail to address systemic inequality. Hosting FIFA in a nation that marginalizes half its population contradicts the inclusive spirit of international sports.
Political Repression and Civil Liberties
Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchical state with no national elections. The government spies on private communications, criminalizes opposition, and cracks down on political opposition. Those activists who promote democratic reform face imprisonment, harassment, and even death.
Though families might outwardly celebrate the sabi, thousands of citizens are in terror of being punished for political expression. Freedom House classifies Saudi Arabia as “Not Free,” noting extreme restrictions on both political rights and civil liberties (Freedom House 2024). This repression is aggressively juxtaposed with the festivity that cultural heritage presents and underscores the reason why staging an event as public as the World Cup might tacitly validate an authoritarian regime.
Sportswashing: Cultural Myths vs. Reality
Saudi Arabia’s promotion of customs such as the sabi is one aspect of a larger effort to sportswash its international image. By highlighting family-centered customs and cultural heritage, the kingdom tries to deflect international attention from continuing human rights abuses. Functions such as the FIFA World Cup are ideal chances to reinforce this myth.
Sportswashing is not fiction. The kingdom has employed high-profile events such as international boxing competitions, Formula 1 events, and entertainment extravaganzas to project itself as modern, modernizing, and hospitable. The sabi celebration, when televised through social media and international media, is part of this image construction, covering up systemic abuses that are not visible to the global view.
Boycotting FIFA 2034 would contradict this message and underscore that cultural performances cannot justify the breaches of fundamental human rights, protections for workers, and gender equality.
The Ethical Imperative: Why a Boycott Matters
Granting the World Cup to Saudi Arabia sends a message that global glory might be more important than justice. By attending or supporting the event, FIFA risks tacitly endorsing a regime that:
- Executes people for nonviolent crimes, with 345 executions carried out in 2024
- Limits the freedom of the press and muzzles reporters.
- Abuses migrant labor in megaprojects and sports infrastructure.
- Pushes women to the margins and curtails civil rights.
The right choice is evident: human rights and justice must trump prestige or profit. An international boycott would convey a powerful message that culture and image cannot justify systemic repression.
Culture Cannot Mask Repression
Sabi tradition is a demonstration of Saudi Arabia’s capacity to honor family, community, and heritage. But behind this cultural pomp is a regime that systematically crushes opposition, oppresses workers, excludes women, and abuses human rights.
While cultural activities such as the sabi promote social cohesion and keep heritage alive, they also highlight the kingdom’s skill at projecting a public image that is a far cry from the truth. To welcome the FIFA 2034 World Cup without a resolution to these institutional abuses would be an endorsement of injustice.
Through boycotting the tournament, the world community can make human rights, justice, and equality its top priorities, sending a clear message that image-making and celebration cannot be more important than the value of basic freedoms. Cultural heritage must be something to take pride in, not to hide behind oppression.