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UPDATED: 13 Dec 2024, 8:02 am
Human rights organisations are speaking out in response to the announcement that Saudi Arabia will host the men’s football World Cup in 2034, warning of the “unimaginable human cost” of hosting the world’s largest sporting event in the kingdom.
In a joint statement signed by a coalition of 21 rights and football fan groups, including Amnesty International and the Saudi rights group ALQST for Human Rights, activists said: “As global and regional human rights organisations, trade unions, fans groups and organisations representing migrant workers, many of us have long highlighted the severe risks posed by Saudi Arabia’s hosting of mega-sporting events. By awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without meaningful protections, FIFA [football’s governing body] has today decided both to ignore our warnings and discard its own human rights policies.”
The statement continued: “Today, there is no shortage of evidence [in Saudi Arabia] of migrant workers being exploited and subjected to racism, activists sentenced to decades in prison for expressing themselves peacefully, women and LGBTQIA+ people facing legalized discrimination, or residents forcibly evicted to make way for state projects. It is evident that without urgent action and comprehensive reforms, the 2034 World Cup will be tarnished by repression, discrimination and exploitation on a massive scale.”
The statement comes in the wake of a recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report entitled Die First, and I’ll Pay You Later, which focuses on the treatment of migrant workers, who will likely bear the brunt of building or renovating 11 stadiums and 185,000 new hotel rooms for the event. Many migrant workers in the kingdom still endure the kafala sponsorship system, binding them to a specific employer which HRW says puts them at risk of “widespread abuse, including contract substitution, exorbitant recruitment fees, non-payment of wages, confiscation of passports by employers and forced labour.”
Human rights organisations also emphasise issues around press freedom, the treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals and the rights of women, among others. Lina al-Hathloul, head of monitoring and advocacy at ALQST for Human Rights, told CNN Sport that while “every country violates human rights” to some extent, there are red lines and Saudi Arabia “has crossed that red line.”
[See more: Top international female football players call on FIFA to end Saudi sponsorship]
Recent years have seen the kingdom invest billions in sports through its sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), dramatically impacting sports including golf, boxing, esports and Formula 1 racing.
While these investments are ostensibly part of Saudi Vision 2030, a project helmed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the petrostate’s economy and elevate its status, many observers see it as “sportswashing,” in which countries use high-profile sporting events to obscure wrongdoing and create a more favourable image with the global public.
As the most popular sport in the world, football is a perfect vehicle for sportswashing. Recent years have seen the kingdom purchase storied English Premier League team Newcastle United and convince several prominent footballers to join the newly established Saudi Pro League, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar Jr. Hosting the World Cup would cement Saudi Arabia’s newfound prominence in the sport.
In awarding the World CUp to Saudi Arabia, FIFA reportedly relied on an assessment by a Riyadh-based law firm which categorised the human rights risk as “medium.”
The assessment, said to have been produced in six weeks from “desk research and engagement” with Saudi ministries, did not involve any external stakeholders. Human rights groups questioned the legitimacy of the report and criticised FIFA and Saudi Arabia for not ensuring positive change before making the official announcement.
UPDATED: 13 Dec 2024, 8:02 am
