The nation that is expected to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup is Saudi Arabia. This announcement shows a big concern about the country’s human rights record. Various human rights groups and Saudi activists are asking FIFA to ensure that the nation follows the human rights rules during the tournament. They want to check and away on a regular note and cancel the deal if required.
Similar to Qatar, Saudi Arabia also doesn’t have a good record of human rights, especially when dealing with migrant workers. Most of these workers will be utilized to build stadiums, and there is a fear they will not be treated in a good way, just like Qatar during the 2022 World Cup. FIFA did not manage the issues when Qatar was the host country, and it is good to not repeat that mistake again.
According to British lawyer Rodney Dixon, FIFA must take responsibility. If they feel that any kind of changes are needed in the deal, there is still time to make them now. Saudi Arabia cannot be trusted to follow human rights laws without close monitoring. FIFA has to act now.
On December 11, FIFA will select the host nation, and Saudi Arabia will be the only candidate. Despite the fact that Saudi Arabia is involved in serious human rights violations such as restrictions on free speech, women’s torture, and human trafficking, it’s still allowed to bid. All of these flaws raise questions about FIFA’s real values.
FIFA claims that it cares about human rights. But its selection of the host nation for the 2034 World Cup focuses more on the process than on fixing the real problems. Saudi Arabia’s bad record, especially how it treats women and workers, makes this bid concerning. Experts suggested checking Saudi Arabia’s progress, but FIFA ignored them. This shows FIFA may be more interested in getting a rich host than standing up for human rights.
In July, Saudi Arabia explored its palms for the FIFA World Cup. The nation introduced the idea of building 15 stadiums and a review of its human rights policies. The real concern is that 40% population of this nation is formed due to migrant workers, and Saudi Arabia is dealing with these 13 million workers in a good way. Researcher Joey Shea from Human Rights Watch reported that these workers suffered from serious labor violations. It makes large construction projects very troubling. She noted that while rights groups had some access to Qatar before the 2022 World Cup, they have no access to Saudi Arabia at all, limiting their ability to monitor conditions.
Saudi officials say they are in progress under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salam’s Vision 2030, but the lack of transparency raises questions. Saudi Arabia’s treatment of labor highlights that the claim of this nation about reform is not true.