Human rights organizations are urging FIFA to halt its decision to award Saudi Arabia the hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup, citing significant concerns over the country’s human rights record. The call comes as FIFA prepares for an extraordinary Congress on December 11, where national football associations will vote on the sole bid submitted by Saudi Arabia.
Amnesty International and the Sport and Rights Alliance (SRA) have warned that hosting the World Cup in Saudi Arabia without proper reform would lead to widespread human rights violations, particularly affecting migrant workers who will be critical to the tournament’s construction and operations.
Concerns Over Worker Rights and Exploitation
The two organizations, in a joint statement, outlined several key issues regarding Saudi Arabia’s labor policies, specifically the controversial “kafala” sponsorship system. They argue that migrant workers face exploitation, including poor working conditions, delayed wages, and inadequate protections. Amnesty’s Steve Cockburn stated, “There will be a real and predictable human cost to awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without obtaining credible guarantees of reform.”
The kafala system, which ties migrant workers’ residency status to their employers, has long been criticized for creating power imbalances that leave workers vulnerable to abuse. Human rights groups also cited the lack of a minimum wage for migrant workers and the inability of these workers to form unions as contributing to the systemic exploitation.
The organizations further highlighted the kingdom’s ongoing suppression of free speech, with activists and dissidents continuing to face imprisonment for peaceful protests and critical speech. Amnesty emphasized that without concrete reforms in these areas, the tournament would exacerbate the existing human rights abuses.
FIFA’s Role and Financial Ties to Saudi Arabia
The pushback from human rights groups also points to FIFA’s growing financial ties to Saudi Arabia, particularly through the state-owned energy giant Aramco, which recently signed a sponsorship deal with the football governing body worth $400 million. Critics have raised concerns that these financial relationships could influence FIFA’s decision-making process regarding the 2034 World Cup bid.
FIFA, however, maintains that it is following a thorough bidding process. A FIFA spokesperson reiterated that the organization is committed to fair and transparent procedures for selecting World Cup hosts, including those for both the 2030 and 2034 tournaments.
FIFA to Hold Vote on December 11
The decision on Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid will be made during FIFA’s extraordinary Congress on December 11. The country is currently the only bidder for the event, following FIFA’s decision in October 2023 to accept only bids from Asian and Oceania countries for the 2034 tournament. This ruling effectively ensured Saudi Arabia would be the only contender, after Australia announced it would not challenge the Saudi bid.
Amnesty and the SRA have called on FIFA to separate the votes for the 2030 and 2034 World Cup hosts, ensuring that each bid is given individual scrutiny. They argue that Saudi Arabia’s bid, given its human rights record, deserves particular attention and should not be lumped together with other bids.
Calls for Reforms Before World Cup Award
Human rights groups have made it clear that they will continue to push FIFA for stronger human rights protections before Saudi Arabia is awarded the tournament. They are calling for specific commitments from Saudi Arabia to reform its labor laws, including the abolition of the kafala system, implementation of a minimum wage, and measures to prevent worker deaths during the construction of World Cup infrastructure.
“We are urging FIFA to pause the decision until Saudi Arabia can guarantee that these reforms will take place,” said Andrea Florence, director of the Sport and Rights Alliance.
As the December vote nears, it remains to be seen whether FIFA will heed these calls for action or proceed with the decision to award Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup, despite widespread concerns over the kingdom’s human rights practices.