Saudi Arabia has been criticized for its human rights violations, abuses of women’s rights, criminalization of homosexuality, restrictions on freedom of expression, and the war in Yemen.
NGOs have recently claimed, external Authorities executed at least 200 people in the first nine months of 2024, the highest rate in three decades.
The kingdom’s international standing was severely damaged by the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based Saudi journalist who was a prominent critic of the government.
Human rights activists say the Saudi government is using sports to distract from long-standing reputational issues.
The Saudi government says investing in sports boosts the economy, opens it to tourism and inspires people to be more active.
According to FIFA guidelines, countries applying to host the event must commit to respecting human rights.
In November, FIFA issued its evaluation report on the Saudi bid, giving it an “average score of 4.2 out of 5” – the highest score ever.
FIFA claimed that “there is good potential for the tournament to serve as a catalyst for some ongoing and future reforms, and to contribute to positive human rights outcomes for people in Saudi Arabia and the region that go beyond the scope of the tournament itself.” .
However, Amnesty International said last month that the process of selecting Saudi Arabia as the 2034 host should be halted unless major human rights reforms are announced. It claimed that hosting the tournament there would likely lead to gross and widespread human rights violations.
