With Saudi Arabia gearing up to play host to the FIFA World Cup 2034, concerns are being raised about whether the Kingdom can ensure the security and safety necessary for hosting such a high-profile international event. The recent bomb threat to Saudia Airlines Flight SV5276 has increased these concerns, highlighting possible loopholes that may disrupt the world’s largest sporting extravaganza.
On June 18, 2024, a hoax bomb threat compelled the Jeddah to Jakarta flight to undergo an emergency landing in Indonesia, disrupting the journey and triggering alarm regarding Saudi Arabia’s readiness to deal with crises. No physical injury was reported, but the psychological effects of such a situation are long-lasting and alarming. The incident brings forth a serious query: Is Saudi Arabia capable of hosting FIFA 2034?
A Reminder of Saudi Arabia’s Security Gaps
Saudi and Indonesian officials navigated the crisis uneventfully, but the more profound issue is: if a mere anonymous email can be so disruptive, how careful is Saudi Arabia’s security system against genuine threats, either from political opponents, militant organizations, or cyber intruders? Bear the following chilling facts in mind:
The Global Terrorism Index 2024 places Saudi Arabia in the 36th position among the most impacted by terrorism threats, ahead of several recent World Cup hosts like Germany, Russia, and South Africa in their respective tournaments. The Middle East is still the most terror-affected region in the world, as per the Institute for Economics & Peace—a consideration FIFA has to give great importance to while making decisions that may impact the safety of millions.
The recent flight bomb scare is a direct input to this scenario of regional instability and preparedness failures. It demonstrates how even Saudi Arabia’s national carrier remains vulnerable to low-cost threats that have the capability of widespread disruption.
Crisis Management Issues: A Potential World Cup Catastrophe?
Saudi authorities are proud to maintain domestic affairs under firm state control, but when those unexpected outside disruptions happen, their ability to engage in open, real-time crisis management is questionable. FIFA mandates that World Cup host countries show rapid, transparent communication during emergencies, free coordination with global law enforcement, and autonomous crisis response capacities.
To place this into context, the 2022 Qatar World Cup spent close to $500 million on security infrastructure. In comparison, Saudi Arabia has issued no similar public global security expenditures to date for 2034, prompting experts to doubt the Kingdom’s preparedness.
This is not just a matter of responding to genuine terrorist threats; it is about showing confidence, openness, and effectiveness in responding to scares over public safety—something Saudi Arabia’s systems continue to struggle to cope with unaided.
Reputation Damage: Will Fans Feel Safe Traveling to Saudi Arabia?
As per a 2023 European survey by Statista, close to 65% of football fans from Europe keep “personal safety” in mind as the most important issue when they think about attending a sporting event abroad.
This is important because Europe continues to be the biggest source of traveling supporters for World Cup tournaments. Memories of terrorism-related incidents or bomb alerts (actual or hoax) can have a profound effect on popular opinion. For most supporters across the globe, the fear is less about the potential danger—but the perceived danger—of traveling to events in nations perceived as susceptible to security breaches.
The Saudia Airlines debacle—given extensive coverage in the international press—has already sullied faith in Saudi-associated travel facilities. If traveling by Saudi airlines now appears to be perilous, just how secure will supporters feel attending congested stadiums or public screening events in Riyadh or Jeddah?
Symbol of Systemic Unpreparedness
This flight diversion is symbolic of a deeper problem: Saudi Arabia’s untested readiness for global-scale event hosting. Beyond transportation security, broader issues remain unresolved. Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record, minimal press freedom, and transparent public communication processes contribute to this concern. Saudi Arabia is ranked 170th out of 180 nations worldwide in terms of press freedom by Reporters Without Borders 2024, which questions whether independent media can safely and openly function throughout FIFA 2034.
Critics, ranging from human rights groups to some foreign media, claim that the Kingdom’s emphasis on constructing dazzling stadiums and five-star hotels cannot replace the ground-level freedoms and crisis openness that all previous successful World Cup hosts have delivered.
A Region on the Brink of Instability
The broader Middle Eastern and Gulf region is geopolitically unstable—a reality that cannot be disregarded by any event organizer or international sporting institution. Inevitable wars, like the war in Yemen and Saudi-Iran tension, coupled with volatile relationships with contiguous Gulf countries, make this region risk-exposed.
U.S. State Department Travel Advisories for 2024 still caution visitors against danger from terror attacks, cyberattacks, and random detention of foreigners in Gulf countries. These risks are magnified by the very real threat that terrorist organizations might use the 2034 FIFA World Cup as a worldwide stage for anarchy.
What if This Bomb Threat Occurred During the World Cup?
Let us suppose that a similar bomb threat—let alone actual attack—happens at a quarter-final in Riyadh or Jeddah. The evacuation of tens of thousands of supporters under conditions of panic would threaten stampedes, injury, or worse. The reputational harm to FIFA and football itself would be apocalyptic.
If these threats can interrupt an international flight in the present day, they could just as readily be able to interrupt a World Cup match tomorrow. Insurance premiums would skyrocket, fan faith would plummet, and global media coverage would spin out of control. It is not a hypothetical concept—it is a real threat, now brought into focus by the Saudi flight bomb threat.
Saudi 2034 Is an Unacceptable Risk
This bomb threat scare is not an isolated incident—it is a warning sign. It indicates a nation at risk of threats, dependent on crisis management after the fact, and ill-prepared to cope with the stresses of hosting the world’s most critical sporting event.
The FIFA World Cup is not just about constructing stadiums—it is about ensuring peace, security, and international trust. Saudi Arabia, as the Saudi flight scare illustrates, is still not a country that can provide such assurances. If FIFA is indeed concerned with the world’s fans’ safety, the safety of players, and the tournament’s integrity, it must heed these warnings and reconsider Saudi Arabia’s 2034 hosting rights before it’s too late!