Saudi Arabia has been going all out to establish itself as an international sporting hub. From Formula 1 racing and heavyweight boxing to the takeover of Newcastle United and attracting international stars to its Saudi Pro League, the Kingdom has spared no effort. Its most recent foray into the world of cricket, which comes in the form of a high-profile partnership with the UAE’s International League T20 (ILT20), marks another effort towards projecting a gentler international image.
The Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation (SACF) has just issued a strategic partnership with ILT20, under which games will be hosted in Saudi Arabia from December 2025. Even women’s games are likely to be hosted—a bold step for a country where women were not allowed into stadiums until as recently as 2018.
The Kingdom is set to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, a move that has sparked international condemnation. Saudi Arabia’s lavish investment in sports—among them, this cricket project—is merely sportswashing
Saudi Arabia’s Sports Push: Cricket as the Latest Target
ILT20 and SACF will work together to develop the game in the Kingdom, as per the deal. Saudi players will enter the ILT20 auction system under the tie-up, which will ensure representation for the country. The games will be played on Saudi soil, and a development tournament will also be initiated next year.
Prince Saud Bin Mishal Al-Saud, SACF Chairman, welcomed the agreement under Saudi Vision 2030, a vision for diversifying the economy away from oil by developing tourism, entertainment, and sports.
But whereas cricket fans might cheer the spread, human rights groups note that Saudi Arabia’s sporting investments are deliberately chosen to restore its international image. Amnesty International has continued to caution that the Kingdom is “spending billions to gloss over decades of systemic abuse.”
The Bigger Picture: Sportswashing Ahead of FIFA 2034
Saudi Arabia’s cricket alliance is only one part of a much greater whole. The nation has been investing heavily in football, golf, tennis, and combat sports.
- Football: The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquired Premier League club Newcastle United in 2021, raising fears that football was being politicized as a propaganda platform. Saudi Pro League clubs have since spent more than $950 million on transfers alone in 2023, attracting global superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.
- Golf: Saudi-sponsored LIV Golf joined the PGA Tour in 2023, demonstrating the Kingdom’s capacity to upend global sport.
- Boxing & MMA: Heavyweight boxing championship bouts and UFC events have introduced global sporting events to Riyadh.
Hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2034 is the jewel in this crown. Football isn’t a sport to Saudi Arabia—it’s the most influential vehicle to reset its image in front of billions of people around the globe.
The Human Rights Issues
Saudi Arabia’s past performance puts serious question to its suitability as a host for the World Cup:
Freedom of Speech: Human Rights Watch documents that dozens of Saudi activists, journalists, and academics are still behind bars for exercising their rights to dissent. In 2022, a Saudi woman, Salma al-Shehab, was given a 34-year sentence for tweets in support of women’s rights.
Women’s Rights: While women have achieved limited rights in recent decades, including driving, their lives are still controlled by laws that limit many things about them.
Migrant Workers: Saudi Arabia’s more than 13 million migrant workers are routinely subjected to conditions that border on forced labor, such as stolen passports, withheld wages, and inhuman living conditions, reported the International Trade Union Confederation.
Death Penalty: In 2022, Saudi Arabia put to death 196 individuals, the most in a three-decade period, reported Reprieve and the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights.
Why the Cricket Partnership is Important
The ILT20 partnership is not merely cricket—it’s about normalization. By hosting international cricket games in Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom is sending a message: it’s open, modern, and ready for global sport. But this is to cover up the fact that even sporting events are tightly regulated by state power, with no leeway for fans, players, or journalists to be able to express alternative views.
The Financial Muscle: Buying Legitimacy
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is worth over $925 billion, giving it the financial firepower to outspend any rival. This wealth has already reshaped multiple sports industries. But it will not wash away the reality that dissent is repressed in Saudi Arabia. Money will not reverse the imprisonment of peaceful protesters. Money will not conceal the suffering of migrant workers that keep the Kingdom functioning.
The same billions funneled into cricket, football, and golf might otherwise be spent on reforming human rights abuses at home. But the Saudi government prefers to spend it on purchasing international legitimacy.
Why FIFA Should Think Again About 2034
It’s the wrong message. It tells authoritarian governments everywhere they can purchase international credibility short of reform. It belies the credibility of FIFA and erodes trust among fans who think football should stand for fairness, inclusiveness, and unity.
As the world has its eyes on Saudi Arabia’s expanding sports empire, the FIFA World Cup 2034 is not merely a tournament—it is a test of whether global sports organizations will defend human rights or succumb to capital. Fans, footballers, and citizens’ groups need to come together to demand accountability.
Just as there were campaigns that brought Qatar into the light, it is imperative to put the light on Saudi Arabia’s reality prior to 2034. Support campaigns that bring attention to the situation of activists, women, and migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. The world of international football is under threat.
The beautiful game should not be exploited as a means for repressive regimes to hide behind their human rights abuses. It is time to take action—before the most-watched sporting spectacle in the world is used as one more icon of complicity in the face of injustice.