FIFA has released its assessment report for Saudi Arabia’s unopposed bid to host the 2034 men’s World Cup, paving the way for the kingdom to be formally awarded the final next month.
Despite longstanding concerns about the country’s human rights record, the governing body awarded the bid “an average score of 4.2 out of 5” – the highest ever.
FIFA said hosting the tournament in the kingdom posed a “medium” risk to human rights, claiming it had “good potential to act as a catalyst” for reform.
Campaign groups immediately condemned the bid evaluation.
FIFA also highlighted that despite the construction program the world’s largest oil exporter is embarking on, the Saudi bid had “generally a good commitment to sustainability” and was considered ‘low risk’ when it came to environmental protection.
FIFA notes that summer temperatures “could exceed 40 degrees Celsius” and admits there is an “increased risk in terms of timing of events” due to the kingdom’s climate, saying the bid is “not a proposed timeframe’ for planning.
It says that “the exercise of identifying the optimal window for competition involves a number of complexities.”
However, amid expectations it will have to take place in the winter months, as Qatar did in 2022, the report says Saudi Arabia will “work closely… to determine the optimal timing for the competition”.
FIFA said the 2030 World Cup bid, which will take place on three continents, had also exceeded minimum hosting requirements, but noted this would have “a significant negative impact on the climate”.
The 2030 tournament will be co-hosted by Spain and Portugal in Europe and Morocco in Africa, while the first three matches will take place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay in South America to mark the centenary of the World Cup.
The official ratification of the respective hosts of both tournaments will take place at a FIFA congress on December 11.
Background – Saudi Arabia spends a lot on sports
Saudi Arabia has invested around £5 billion in sport since 2021, when the country’s crown prince made sport a key part of his ‘Vision 2030’ strategy to diversify the economy.
It has hosted several major sporting events, including football, Formula 1, golf and boxing, while the country’s public investment fund has launched breakout series LIV Golf, taken control of four Saudi Pro League clubs and bought Newcastle United.
However, the Gulf kingdom has also been accused of using its investments in sports and hosting high-profile events to boost its international reputation. The country has been criticized for human rights abuses, the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, violations of women’s rights, the criminalization of homosexuality, restrictions on freedom of expression and the war in Yemen.
Non-governmental organizations recently claimed that authorities executed at least 200 people in the first nine months of 2024, the highest number in three decades.
Environmentalists have also accused the oil-rich state of fueling climate change through its fossil fuel industry.
The Saudi government says the investment will boost the economy, open it to tourism, inspire people to be more active and enable reforms and modernization.
Commenting on FIFA’s 110-page assessment report, Saudi Sports Minister HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said: “This score from FIFA simply reflects our commitment to growing the game, our rapid transformation and our desire to to organize the best possible tournament for the whole world.” world to enjoy. It is the result of our extensive efforts to deliver an exceptional offer.”
‘Gaps and reservations’ in the field of human rights
Significantly, FIFA emphasizes that its human rights assessments are “not about definitively excluding countries based on their overall human rights context” and are instead “based on evidence of how effectively bidders plan to address the human rights risks associated with a tournament to catch.”
FIFA’s report explains the ‘medium’ risk assessment of the Saudi bid for human rights: “The company involved in implementing the various measures outlined in the Human Rights Strategy, especially in certain areas, would require significant efforts and can take time…
“However, the significant work and level of concrete commitment demonstrated by the bid and key stakeholders, together with the demonstrated pace of progress and ten-year time horizon, are mitigating factors to be taken into account, while there are also significant opportunities are in favor of the offer. to contribute to broader positive human rights impacts in Saudi Arabia under the umbrella of the country’s Vision 2030.”
The FIFA report refers to “the government’s commitment to respect, protect and fulfill internationally recognized human rights related to competition, including in the areas of safety and security, labor rights, children’s rights, gender equality and non-discrimination , as well as freedom of expression (including freedom of the press)”.
But the review “also highlights areas where further legal reform is needed and points to the need for effective enforcement, without which the risk of indecent working conditions could increase”.
In relation to diversity and anti-discrimination, the report notes “gaps and concerns in the implementation of relevant international standards, particularly where they conflict with Islamic law… the bidder undertakes to ensure a safe and inclusive tournament environment, free of discrimination [and]… also commits to reviewing and potentially amending relevant legislation as part of the Government’s obligations under international standards.
FIFA claims that “there is good potential that the tournament could serve as a catalyst for some of the ongoing and future reforms and could contribute to positive human rights outcomes for people in Saudi Arabia and the region beyond the scope of the tournament itself”.
However, earlier this month, campaign group Amnesty said the process to select Saudi Arabia as the 2034 host country should be halted unless major human rights reforms are announced. It claimed that hosting the tournament there would likely lead to serious and widespread rights violations.
Last month, Amnesty was also among a group of human rights, labor and fan organizations that criticized a “flawed” independent report prepared on behalf of Saudi Arabia that they said had failed to properly assess the treatment of migrant workers.
FIFA and the Saudi bid declined to comment.
Reacting to the release of the report, Amnesty said it is “an astonishing whitewash of the country’s atrocious human rights record. There are no meaningful commitments that will prevent workers from being exploited, residents from being evicted, or activists from being arrested.
“By ignoring the clear evidence of serious risks to human rights, FIFA is likely to bear significant responsibility for the violations and abuses that will occur over the next decade.
“Fundamental human rights reforms are urgently needed in Saudi Arabia, otherwise the 2034 World Cup will inevitably be tainted by exploitation, discrimination and repression.”
Campaign group Fair Square said FIFA had “plunged new depths”.
FIFA has been contacted for comment.
What will be the impact on the environment?
Saudi Arabia’s bid includes fifteen stadiums across five host cities, including eight new-build projects.
Claiming that “the bidder demonstrates an understanding of the impact of the tournament on the environment and climate and outlines a number of measures to mitigate this impact,” FIFA notes that “while the scale and scope of the construction works will have a material impact would have on the environment, the bidder proposes to use existing buildings and infrastructure wherever possible… the bid provides a good basis for delivering mitigation measures to address some of the environmental challenges…”
It also concludes that: “Air travel would still be the preferred transport option between some host cities if necessary, impacting the tournament’s environmental and carbon footprint.
“The planned further development of the country’s transport infrastructure, combined with the offeror’s provision of free public transport for ticket holders would help mitigate that impact.”
The proposed Roshn Stadium in Riyadh is designed to resemble crystal-like shards rising into the air [Getty Images]
‘Significant negative climate impact’ of the 2030 World Cup
The 2030 World Cup – which will be held in six countries on three continents – has also been evaluated.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco have been named as co-hosts, with the first three matches taking place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark the centenary of the World Cup following the opening tournament in Montevideo.
Critics have pointed out the environmental impact of air travel over such long distances.
FIFA insists that “bidders demonstrate a clear understanding of the main environmental and climate impacts of hosting the tournament” and considers the event to be ‘low risk’ for its sustainability commitment and environmental protection.
However, it also admits that their initial carbon footprint assessment “estimates that the tournament’s carbon footprint would be 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, which is substantial and would represent a significant negative impact on the climate”.
But it says this “will be mitigated through measures such as improved transport and sustainable construction practices”.
In June 2023, a Swiss regulator said FIFA was making false claims about the reduced environmental impact of the 2022 World Cup, which was being held in Qatar.
FIFA says the 2030 bid poses a low risk to human rights.
However, earlier this month, Amnesty said FIFA must “demand much more credible strategies and binding commitments to prevent human rights abuses related to the 2030 World Cup.”
The human rights body added: “Morocco, Portugal and Spain have still not adequately explained how players and fans will be protected from discriminatory abuse, what measures will be taken to prevent the excessive use of police force, or how the housing rights of residents will be arranged. secured.”
