Saudi Arabia recently broke the news of a far-reaching reform of its national curriculum, introducing new subjects such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Tourism and Hospitality, Fashion, Art and Design, and First Aid. The Saudi Press Agency, which is owned by the government, hailed the changes as a “strategic modernization effort” aimed at aligning with Vision 2030. Authorities proudly claim that education is now beyond textbooks as it incorporates activities, national events, and novel ways of learning in order to “position students for the future.”
At face value, these reforms appear to be indicative of movement. But in the broader context of Saudi authoritarianism, they tell a very different story: the reality here is less about empowering youth and more about controlling the narrative. The same playbook lies behind Saudi Arabia’s successful campaign to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Both the new syllabus and the international sporting spectacle are vehicles of propaganda and image manipulation, camouflaging profound human rights violations behind a veneer of modernization.
Sportswashing by Another Name
Saudi Arabia has invested more than $6 billion in international sport since 2021, purchasing football clubs, staging major boxing bouts, and poaching leading players into its national league. It is understood by most analysts as sportswashing—a bid to divert the attention of the globe from beheadings, repression, and exploitation by linking the Kingdom to the happiness and globalist of sport.
Education reforms do the same. By highlighting such contemporary subjects as Tourism and AI, Saudi Arabia aims to appear progressive to foreign viewers, when its classrooms are actually being filled with state-directed narratives. Just like the World Cup, these efforts create a false appearance of openness while concealing reality regarding oppression.
The Reality Behind the Façade: Human Rights Abuses
As Saudi Arabia parades shiny new textbooks and hi-tech stadiums, it still mutes dissents and crushes human rights. The paradox between its superficial reforms and its dark underbelly is overwhelming. Capital punishments in the Kingdom have reached new record levels. In 2024 alone, the Saudi authorities executed 345 individuals, the largest number in decades.
By mid-2025, the figure had already surpassed 180 executions, many for non-violent drug crimes. Alarming as it may be, three-quarters of the last decade’s drug crime executions were of foreign nationals who were frequently denied a fair trial or representation by an attorney. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International again warn that migrant workers are disproportionately arrested, with confessions frequently extracted through torture.
Criminalizing Free Expression in the Digital Age
Aside from executions, peaceful expression is still criminalized. Saudi nationals are consistently sentenced to decades in prison or even death over social media activity. The mere online criticism of government policy or mere advocacy for reform causes can earn an individual severe punishments. The cyber world, far from being open, is closely surveilled to silence any show of dissent.
Migrant Workers: The Hidden Casualties of Saudi Ambition
The mistreatment of migrant workers provides another aspect of abuse. The kafala system tied millions of foreign workers to exploitative employers, allowing for forced labor arrangements.
Investigations into Saudi megaprojects like Neom have revealed thousands of mysterious worker deaths since 2017, officially accounted for as “natural causes,” though with evidence of heatstroke, excessive working hours, and hazardous housing.
With the onset of the 2034 World Cup, monitors warn thousands more migrant workers might perish under such circumstances, just like they did in Qatar ahead of the 2022 finals. Key facts emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s human rights situation:
- 345 executions in 2024, the most in 30 years.
- 241 executions already on record by August 2025, including instances of individuals executed for tweets or attending protests.
- 600 executions in the past decade for drug offenses, 75% of them foreign nationals.
- Around 21,000 worker deaths have been estimated on Saudi construction projects like Neom since 2017, with over 100,000 workers missing or unaccounted for.
- Freedom House continues to classify Saudi Arabia as “Not Free,” citing total suppression of political rights and civil liberties.
Such abuses should not be swept under the rug by cosmetic reforms within schoolrooms or the thrill of taking in a World football tournament.
Education as Propaganda
On the surface, topics such as Cybersecurity and Fashion Design sound progressive. However, the method in which these reforms are being rolled out indicates they are anything but neutral. The Saudi government places heavy stress on “citizenship programs” and “national celebrations” within the curriculum. Practically, this translates to schools not merely imparting skills, but indoctrinating state loyalty.
This is what is being replicated with the 2034 FIFA World Cup. As the classroom is being repurposed as a room for a managed national narrative, so too will the World Cup be a global stage for propaganda. Football enthusiasts around the world will witness shiny stadiums, synchronized celebrations, and political messages of advancement, while the repressed voices of prisoners, workers, and dissidents are hidden from them.
By coordinating its educational reforms with Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is making sure that its young generation grows up surrounded by the official discourse of “modernization,” which covers up ongoing authoritarian rule. Likewise, by coordination with FIFA, the regime expects the international audience to adopt this narrative as well.
Tourism, Branding, and the World Cup
One of the most interesting features of the new curriculum is the addition of Tourism and Hospitality as a full-fledged subject. Far from an accident. Saudi Arabia aims to position itself as a global tourism destination and is planning to welcome 100 million visitors per year by 2030. The 2034 FIFA World Cup is the perfect fit for this plan, serving as the ultimate marketing tool.
This is not a question of loving football; it’s one of brand-building. Just as students of tourism will be taught to “manage events” and “promote heritage,” the World Cup will be leveraged to market Saudi Arabia’s image as a modern, open country. But this brand sits atop the same repression that has underpinned the Kingdom for decades.
Join the Boycott: Stand Against Sportswashing and Propaganda
Saudi Arabia’s curriculum reform and its bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup are not signs of real change. They are scripted propaganda initiatives intended to mask human rights violations with the discourse of modernization and the theater of sport.
It is now the time for the international community. Fans, players, campaigners, and institutions need to act. Boycotting the Saudi World Cup is not about boycotting football; it is about boycotting the exploitation, oppression, and propaganda that go with it.
Your voice counts. Make yourself heard, spread the truth, and stand with campaigns demanding accountability. Boycotting Saudi 2034 sends a loud and clear message: the world will not come to celebrate football on the tombstones of migrant workers, in the shadow of the death penalty, and under the cover of silenced voices.