Fifa has released its evaluation report for Saudi Arabia’s unopposed bid to host the men’s World Cup in 2034, paving the way for the kingdom to be formally awarded the finals next month.
Despite long-standing concerns over the country’s human rights record, the governing body has awarded the bid “an average score of 4.2 out of 5” – the highest ever.
Fifa says staging the tournament in the kingdom represented a ‘medium’ human rights risk, claiming it had “good potential to act as a catalyst” for reforms.
Campaign groups immediately condemned the bid evaluation.
Fifa also insisted that despite the construction programme the world’s biggest oil exporter is embarking on, the Saudi bid had “a good overall commitment to sustainability”, and was deemed ‘low risk’ when it came to environmental protection.
Noting that summer temperatures “can exceed 40C”, Fifa admits an “elevated risk in terms of event timing” because of the kingdom’s climate, and says the bid “does not stipulate a proposed window” for scheduling.
It says “the exercise of identifying the optimal window for the competition brings with it some complexities”.
However, amid expectations it will have to be staged in the winter months as Qatar did in 2022, the report says Saudi Arabia “pledges to collaborate 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 it would cause “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 opening three matches will take place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay in South America to mark the World Cup’s centenary.
The official ratification of both tournaments’ respective hosts is set to take place at a Fifa Congress on 11 December.
Background – Saudi spends big on sport
Saudi Arabia has invested around £5bn in sport since 2021, when the country’s Crown Prince made it a key part of his ‘Vision 2030’ strategy to diversify the economy.
It has hosted several major sporting events, including in football, Formula 1, golf and boxing, while the country’s Public Investment Fund has launched the breakaway LIV Golf series, taken control of four Saudi Pro League clubs and purchased Newcastle United.
However, the Gulf kingdom has also been accused of using its investment in sport and the hosting of high-profile events to improve its international reputation. It has been criticised for its human rights violations, the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, women’s rights abuses, the criminalisation of homosexuality, the restriction of free speech and the war in Yemen.
Non-governmental organisations recently claimed the authorities executed at least 200 individuals in the first nine months of 2024, the highest for three decades.
Environmental campaigners have also accused the oil-rich state of fuelling climate change through its fossil fuel industry.
The Saudi government says the investment is boosting the economy, opening it up to tourism, inspiring people to be more active, and facilitating reforms and modernisation.
Commenting on Fifa’s 110-page evaluation report, Saudi sports minister HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said: “This score by Fifa simply reflects our commitment to grow the game, our rapid transformation and our desire to host the best possible tournament for the entire world to enjoy. It is the result of our extensive efforts to present an exceptional bid.”
‘Gaps and reservations’ in human rights
Significantly, Fifa emphasises that its human rights evaluations are “not about peremptorily excluding countries based on their general human rights context” and are instead “based on evidence of how effectively bidders intend to address human rights risks connected with a tournament”.
Explaining the Saudi bid’s ‘medium’ risk assessment for human rights, Fifa’s report states that: “The undertaking involved in implementing the various measures outlined in the Human Rights Strategy, particularly in certain areas, could involve significant effort and time…
“However, the considerable work and level of concrete commitment demonstrated by the bid and its key stakeholders, together with the demonstrable rate of progress and the 10-year time horizon, are mitigating factors to consider, whilst there are also significant opportunities for the bid to contribute to wider positive human rights impacts in Saudi Arabia under the umbrella of the country’s Vision 2030.”
Fifa’s report references “the government’s commitment to respecting, protecting and fulfilling internationally recognised human rights in connection with the competition including in the areas of safety and security, labour rights, rights of children, gender equality and non-discrimination, as well as freedom of expression (including press freedom)”.
But the evaluation also “highlights areas where further legal reforms are needed and makes reference to the need for effective enforcement, without which the risk of indecent working conditions could be elevated”.
With regard to diversity and anti-discrimination, the report “notes gaps and reservations in the implementation of relevant international standards, in particular where they are seen to contradict Islamic law… the bidder commits to ensuring a secure and inclusive tournament environment free from discrimination [and]… also commits to reviewing and potentially amending relevant legislation as part of the government’s commitments under international standards.”
Fifa claims “there is a good potential that the tournament could serve as a catalyst for some of the ongoing and future reforms and contribute to positive human rights outcomes for people in Saudi Arabia and the region that go beyond the scope of the tournament itself”.
Earlier this month however, campaign group Amnesty said the process to select Saudi Arabia as the 2034 host must be halted, unless major human rights reforms were announced. It claimed that hosting the tournament there would likely lead to severe and widespread rights violations.
Last month Amnesty was also among a group of human rights, labour and fans organisations that criticised a “flawed” independent report conducted on behalf of Saudi Arabia that they claim failed to properly assess the treatment of migrant workers.
Fifa and the Saudi bid declined to comment.
Reacting to publication of the report, Amnesty said it was: “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 severe human rights risks, Fifa is likely to bear much responsibility for the violations and abuses that will take place over the coming decade.
“Fundamental human rights reforms are urgently required in Saudi Arabia, or the 2034 World Cup will be inevitably tarnished by exploitation, discrimination and repression.”
Campaign group Fair Square said Fifa had “plumbed new depths”.
Fifa has been approached for comment.
What will be the environmental impact?
The Saudi Arabia bid proposes 15 stadiums across five host cities, including eight new builds.
Environmental campaigners claim the 2034 World Cup could cause more than 10 million tonnes of carbon pollution due to infrastructure construction and supporter air travel. They have also said Saudi Arabia has undermined progress at climate negotiations.
Despite that, Fifa’s report says “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 “whilst the scale and extent of construction work would have a material environmental impact, the bidder proposes using existing buildings and infrastructure where feasible… the bid provides a good foundation for delivering mitigation measures to address some of the environment-related challenges…”
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: The proposed Roshn Stadium in Riyadh has been designed to resemble crystal-like shards rising into the air
‘Significant negative climate impact’ from 2030 World Cup
The 2030 World Cup – which will be held across six countries in three continents – has also been evaluated.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco have been named as the co-hosts, with the opening three matches taking place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark the World Cup’s centenary after the inaugural tournament in Montevideo.
Critics have pointed to the environmental impact of air travel across such large distances.
Fifa insists “the bidders demonstrate a clear understanding of the main environmental and climate impacts of hosting the tournament” and deems the event ‘low risk’ for sustainability commitment and environmental protection.
However, it also admits that their initial carbon footprint assessment “estimates that the carbon footprint of the tournament would be 3.5m tons CO2 equivalent, which is substantial, and would mean a significant negative impact on the climate”.
But it says this “will be mitigated by actions including improved transport and sustainable construction practices”.
In June 2023, a Swiss regulator said Fifa made false claims about the reduced environmental impact of the 2022 World Cup, which was held in Qatar.
Fifa says the 2030 bid represents a low risk for human rights.
Earlier this month, however, Amnesty said that Fifa must demand “far more credible strategies and binding commitments to prevent human rights violations in relation 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 residents’ housing rights will be safeguarded.”