Saudi Arabia is a “shoo-in to win the rights to host” the 2034 FIFA World Cup when voting takes place on Dec. 11, but “turmoil in the oil market and human rights concerns hang over the kingdom’s bid,” according to Vivienne Walt of the N.Y. TIMES. There is “growing outrage from rights organizations and U.S. senators about Saudi’s human rights track record,” as well as “unwelcome scrutiny from players about Saudi Aramco as a new sponsor of the tournament.” Human Rights Watch Global Initiatives Dir Minky Worden indicated that her group has been “talking to sponsors, including Adidas, to keep pressure on FIFA about standing up for human rights and protections for workers in Saudi Arabia.” Meanwhile, hosting the event “could easily top” the $200B bill Qatar had for hosting the 2022 World Cup, and the “oil markets aren’t cooperating.” Brent crude oil over the past year has been trading “well below the $96-a-barrel level” that is thought to be needed for Saudi Arabia “to balance its budget.” Any continued conflict in the Middle East and a “Trump-led rise in U.S. drilling could keep them lower for longer” (N.Y. TIMES, 11/27).
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