During the 80th United Nations General Assembly, Saudi Economy and Planning Minister Faisal bin Fadel Al-Ibrahim uttered powerful words: youth are the “key” to international sustainable development. He commended Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision oriented towards youth and outlined Saudi Vision 2030 as a blueprint for future planning and youth investment.
But rhetoric is simple. If you look at the data and empirical record available to us, the inconsistencies are glaring. Saudi Arabia’s domestic policies — particularly relating to human rights, free speech, and labor relations — are in conflict with the notion that it is a serious champion of youth. Worse: awarding Saudi Arabia the 2034 FIFA World Cup threatens to make youth empowerment a public relations instrument, not a sincere commitment.
Saudi’s UN Message: Ambition Meets Spin
At the UN, Saudi’s leadership framed three pillars of its vision:
- Youth as architects of global sustainability.
- Vision 2030 as the blueprint of sustainable implementation.
- Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a youthful reformer.
But these messages echo more like marketing than substance when set against domestic realities and objective metrics.
Youth Unemployment & Economic Realities
If the “key” are youth, it would logically follow that Saudi Arabia would have exemplary youth employment rates. Unfortunately, the statistics indicate problematically dire matters.
- Saudi Arabia’s youth unemployment rate (15–24 years old) in 2024 was 13.7 %, barely off from 13.8 % in 2023.
- Internationally, the average youth unemployment rate is around 15.7 %, so Saudi is not a trendsetter but merely near the middle of the pack.
- Youth unemployment in 2021 was significantly worse at 19.7 %, with sluggish progress.
- As of early 2025, female youth unemployment stood at 20.7 %, almost double that of male youth unemployment at 11.6 %.
- Male youth labor force participation reached a low of 33 %, while the employment-to-population ratio hit 29.2 %.
These statistics also indicate a structural mismatch: as Saudi Arabia boasts its vision externally, a lot of young people domestically are unemployed or disconnected from meaningful opportunities.
Contrasting With Saudi’s Broader Unemployment
To understand the gap:
- Saudi Arabia’s overall unemployment rate in recent years hovers between 3.9 % and 5 %.
- In late 2023, Saudi citizen unemployment fell to 7.7 %, while overall unemployment (including expatriates) was 4.4 %.
This means youth unemployment is three to four times higher than the national average — a clear signal that youth remain disproportionately disadvantaged.
Human Rights, Sportswashing & FIFA 2034
Aside from the job market, youth empowerment sounds empty in light of Saudi Arabia’s human rights track record. FIFA’s award of the 2034 World Cup to the kingdom is no exception and brings several critical issues to mind:
- Freedom of expression: Activists, writers, and youth reformers are censored, arrested, and even sentenced for many years to prison for peaceful speech.
- Women’s rights: While progress has been achieved, gender discrimination remains, manifesting itself in youth unemployment differentials and curbs on freedoms.
- LGBTQ+ exclusion: Homosexual relationships are still criminalized, going against FIFA’s inclusion policies directly.
- Abuses of migrant labor: Infrastructure and stadium construction is based on migrant workers who experience hazardous conditions, delayed payment of wages, and restricted legal remedies.
Migrant Worker Fatalities & Infrastructure Dangers
Construction needed for FIFA 2034 gives cause for concern based on precedent:
In the past few years alone, at least 17 Nepalese migrant worker deaths were documented in Saudi Arabia over 18 months on large projects, most attributed to negligence and hazardous work environments.
Whereas Qatar’s 2022 World Cup has been criticized as having caused thousands of worker fatalities, Saudi Arabia now has no similar oversight procedures instituted to protect migrants in the course of massive building initiatives.
This means the risk of mass exploitation and preventable deaths in the lead-up to 2034 is very real.
The Hypocrisy of Youth Empowerment Messaging
Saudi’s speech at the UN praised youth as the engine of transformation, but the reality tells another story:
- Youth unemployment at 13.7 % vs. overall 4.4 %.
- Female youth unemployment at 20.7 % vs. male 11.6 %.
- Declining labor force participation among young men, at only 33 %.
- Top-level arrests of activists and reformers, eroding freedom of expression.
- Fatalities and dangerous conditions among migrant workers associated with mega-projects.
These statistics demonstrate empowerment is less to do with freedom and opportunity, and more to do with public relations.
Why FIFA 2034 in Saudi Arabia Needs to Be Resisted
Awarding Saudi Arabia the World Cup poses a number of risks:
Contrast with FIFA’s values
FIFA envisions a message of inclusion, diversity, and youth empowerment — but Saudi law and practice run contrary to these ideals.
Sportswashing authoritarianism
The tournament will confer legitimacy on the regime while human rights violations occur in secret.
Human Cost of the Build
Migrant laborers will probably be exposed to poor conditions and exploitation, with avoidable fatalities, as witnessed during Qatar 2022.
Hollow Promises of Youth Empowerment
As long as employment is still high and liberties restricted, the tournament will be propaganda, not a true celebration of youth.
Call to Action: Save Football, Save Youth
If Saudi Arabia really cares to empower its youth, it will have to do more than give speeches at the UN. It will have to reform labor practices, uphold free expression, and ensure equal rights for all its citizens. Otherwise, inviting the 2034 FIFA World Cup is not only premature but damaging to the integrity of the sport and its fans globally.
We need to insist that FIFA:
- Enforce binding human rights standards for all host countries.
- Safeguard workers, activists, and journalists in tournament nations.
- Decline sportswashing by repressive regimes.
The World Cup is supposed to represent freedom, diversity, and youth opportunity — not serve as a veil for repression. The global football community must unite and say: No to Saudi 2034.