Saudi Arabia closes on being named 2034 World Cup hosts as FIFA report rules tournament has a ‘medium’ human rights risk

FIFA has claimed awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia has ‘good potential’ to support reforms in the country, after deeming the tournament to carry a ‘medium’ human rights risk. 

Football’s world governing body published an evolution report into Saudi Arabia’s bid for the tournament in the early hours of Saturday, European time.

The report comes ahead of the FIFA Congress on December 11, where Saudi Arabia are expected to be confirmed as hosts.

Saudi Arabia are the only bidders for the 2034 World Cup, while Spain, Portugal and Morocco are due to be confirmed as joint hosts for the 2030 tournament.

The FIFA report, produced by secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, gave Saudi Arabia’s bid 4.2 out of 5, with the overall technical score of 419.8 marking the highest the governing body has ever given a potential host.

The human rights risk of the tournament was judged to carry a ‘medium’ risk after an assessment by law firm Clifford Chance.

The tournament is set to be awarded to Saudi Arabia at the FIFA Congress on December 11

The report stated there had been a commitment to ‘respecting, protecting and fulfilling internationally recognised human rights in connection with the competition’.

This included in areas such as safety and security, and labour rights, as well as the rights of children, gender equality and non-discrimination, while also guaranteeing press freedom.

There was no explicit mention of LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is still criminalised. 

The report, however, noted ‘gaps and reservations in the implementation of relevant international standards, in particular where they are seen to contradict Islamic law.’

FIFA stated that ‘concrete commitments’ had been made by the bid to work constructively to mitigate risks, while the 10-year build-up to the tournament was seen as providing ‘good potential for the tournament to serve as a catalyst for some of the ongoing and future reforms’.

Saudi Arabia’s stadium infrastructure and accommodation were other areas to be judged as carrying a ‘medium’ risk in the report, with no categories deemed to be a high risk.

Saudi Arabia are building 11 new venues for the 2034 showpiece to go with four current stadiums, including a space-age $1billion ‘cliffhanger’ stadium.

The report promised ‘the establishment of robust workers’ welfare systems to protect workers connected to tournament infrastructure’.

This follows heavy criticism FIFA received around the 2022 World Cup in Qatar over the hosts alleged treatment of migrant workers. 

No proposed dates for the tournament have yet been revealed, but the report noted that temperatures in Saudi Arabia are ‘between October and April.’

Saudi Arabia are set to build 11 new stadiums as part of their plans for the 2034 World Cup 

Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the tournament would likely require another winter World Cup

Temperatures during the month average between 15°C and 30°C, while the average ranges from 17°C to 38°C between May and September.

Previous editions of the World Cup have largely taken place in June and July, where temperatures in Saudi Arabia ‘can exceed 40°C at the hottest times of the day in Riyadh’.

It opens up the prospect of a second winter World Cup, following Qatar’s hosting of the tournament in 2022.

FIFA’s report stated ‘ any decision regarding the timing of the competition would take these matters into consideration when seeking to provide optimal conditions for teams and spectators.’