Amnesty International and the Sport and Rights Alliance are urging FIFA not to award the rights of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, citing severe human rights concerns. The sole country bidding for the tournament is Saudi Arabia, which has grown enormously in its football presence–from the takeover of Newcastle United to Cristiano Ronaldo joining the Saudi Pro League. But it is this bid that is being criticized.
Lack of Commitment to Human Rights in the Bidding Process
Amnesty and SRA evaluated the 2030 World Cup bids of Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, as well as Saudi Arabia’s bid for 2034. The report concludes that no bid-not even Saudi Arabia’s-satisfactory explained how the country would handle the human rights concerns under its responsibility to achieve FIFAs standards. The report also attacks the fact that the bidding process failed to take meaningful consultations with human rights organizations.
Predictable Human Cost of World Cup in Saudi Arabia
Steve Cockburn, the Head of Labour Rights and Sport of Amnesty International, said: “The real and predictable human cost“ awaits if the Saudi Arabian government is granted the World Cup without any genuine commitment to reforms. “Fans will be discriminated against, residents will be evicted and migrant workers exploited, and many will die,” he added.
Glimmer of Hope for the Exploitative Labour System
Such plans will entail upgrading massive infrastructure, such as the construction or renovation of 11 stadiums, more than 185,000 hotel rooms, and transportation upgrades. However, Cockburn observed that this would involve huge numbers of migrant workers and the country has not committed to reforms to its exploitative ‘kafala’ sponsorship system. No is envisioned to guarantee a minimum wage for foreigners, the right to join trade unions, or to prevent fatalities among workers.
Call for Reform Before Rights Are Granted While Hosting
Cockburn called for FIFA to withdraw hosting rights from Saudi Arabia until “proper human rights protection” measures are introduced. The report‘s concerns echo international pressure for the treatment of migrant workers to improve and for greater human rights accountability in the region.
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