FIFA Urged to Increase Human Rights Scrutiny in Saudi Arabia's World Cup Bid

With just two months left before FIFA finalizes Saudi Arabia's hosting of the 2034 World Cup, the organization is facing renewed calls to implement independent oversight of the kingdom's human rights obligations tied to the event. On Friday, legal and human rights experts, along with Saudi activists living abroad, urged FIFA to include ongoing reviews and a potential termination clause in the hosting contract.

The group met in Zurich to push FIFA president Gianni Infantino to learn from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which was awarded without adequate consideration for legal safeguards and reputational risks. British lawyer Rodney Dixon emphasized that there is no excuse now for FIFA to avoid enforcing stronger conditions on the Saudi bid, stating, “If it means that they therefore have to come to a different kind of agreement in December, that is what they should do.”

Saudi Arabia is the only candidate for the 2034 World Cup, with the final decision expected on Dec. 11, when over 200 FIFA member federations will meet online to vote.

The group's call comes shortly after Saudi Arabia failed to secure a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council earlier this week. The experts cited Saudi Arabia's history on freedom of speech, assembly, labor laws, and restrictions on women's rights as key concerns.

Since his election in 2016, Infantino has emphasized that World Cup hosts must follow a human rights strategy, a requirement that gained prominence during scrutiny of Qatar's treatment of migrant workers. Like Qatar, Saudi Arabia plans significant construction projects for the event, largely dependent on migrant labor.

In July, Saudi Arabia announced its human rights strategy review by lawyers of its choosing, which includes plans for 15 new stadiums. However, Human Rights Watch has documented significant labor violations in the country, with around 13 million migrant workers making up 40% of Saudi Arabia's population. Researcher Joey Shea highlighted the potential for labor abuses, stating, “The scale of construction required for the World Cup and potential for labor abuses is really, really chilling.”

While rights groups had limited access in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Shea warned that Saudi Arabia provides “zero access” for such groups.

In response to these concerns, Saudi soccer officials have consistently pointed to ongoing social reforms under the Vision 2030 initiative led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Despite these efforts, human rights advocates argue that the country's ranking remains low on gender equality and other social freedoms. Saudi Arabia is currently ranked 131 out of 146 countries on gender issues by the World Economic Forum.

FIFA has said that all bidders for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups are required to submit human rights strategies, which will be assessed ahead of the final decision. Additionally, FIFA has not held a press conference to address World Cup bids since fast-tracking the 2034 edition toward Saudi Arabia last year.

There is little indication that FIFA members will protest the Saudi bid during the Dec. 11 vote. FIFA recently announced that both the 2030 and 2034 World Cup awards will be made in a single vote, potentially diminishing European opposition to Saudi Arabia's candidacy.

Mark Pieth, a former FIFA anti-corruption advisor, emphasized the importance of upholding minimum human rights requirements, stating, “If FIFA is desperate to give Saudi Arabia the World Cup, the least would be to see to it that the minimum of these (human rights) requirements is actually upheld.”