2034 World Cup Saudi Arabia: Hammad Albalawi denies sports-washing behind bid to host tournament | Football News

The man responsible for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup says sportswashing has nothing to do with its plans and denies that FIFA’s process for awarding the hosting rights was a farce.

During his first radio interview, Hammad Albalawi said a World Cup in Saudi Arabia would be “magical” and that LGBTQ+ fans would be welcomed as guests.

While acknowledging widespread concerns about human and labor rights in his country, he said “huge strides” were being made in social reform. He also revealed that Saudi Arabia would be willing to host the alcohol-free tournament in the summer and did not rule out a bid for the Women’s World Cup.

Saudi Arabia published its bid in August after FIFA controversially fast-tracked the process to host the 2030 and 2034 World Cups. Although Saudi Arabia is the only bidder for 2034, FIFA will conduct an inspection visit next month before the Gulf state is confirmed as host at the FIFA Congress on December 11.

“We are on a journey of remarkable transformation,” Albalawi said. “It is the natural next step for us to strive to bring the World Cup to Saudi Arabia and we are very excited about it.”

‘We do this for our people’

Hosting the World Cup appears to be a key pillar of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plan to establish itself as a major player in the world of sport. Since 2018, it has used its oil revenues to invest in sports such as football, boxing, Formula 1 and golf.

Saudi Arabia says its investments are part of a drive to diversify its economy and encourage its citizens to become more active. Critics, including Amnesty International, say sports are being used to distract from the country’s poor human rights record.

“We’re not doing this to be in the news, we’re doing this for our people,” Albalawi said. “We’re a young nation that’s taking this opportunity and making the most of it. We’re investing to make sure Saudis live longer and happier lives and we’re very proud of that.”

Amnesty International has accused Saudi Arabia of “clear sports washing”, but Albalawi denies a direct question about whether his country uses sport to launder its reputation and image worldwide.

“This is all about achieving our sporting goals, welcoming fans and becoming the best version of ourselves,” he said. “We do this for the growth of our people.”

‘All guests are respected’

Same-sex relationships are illegal in Saudi Arabia and the British Foreign Office advises all couples to be aware of local customs and not to display affection in public. Being transgender is not recognised in Saudi Arabia.

Article 4 of the FIFA statutes strictly prohibits any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation. Albalawi echoes a phrase often used by the organisers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, saying that all visitors are welcome in his country – now and in 2034.

“You will be respected,” he said. “You will be welcomed in Saudi Arabia and that respect and welcome extends to everyone from all over the world. We respect the privacy of all our guests. We have seen millions of guests come to Saudi Arabia over the years.

“We have hosted over a hundred sporting events attended by over three million fans who enjoyed their experience. People need to educate themselves about the Kingdom and the best way to do that is to visit it. They will find Saudis hospitable. We would be happy to receive all our guests.”

In addition to the 2034 World Cup, Saudi Arabia will also host the 2027 Asian Cup of Football, the 2029 Asian Winter Games and the 2034 Asian Games. The country also has long-term ambitions to host more major events, including the Women’s World Cup.

“Our main goal today is to bid for the 2034 World Cup,” Albalawi said. “Our ambitions are bigger, our sporting ambitions are bigger and we will welcome with open arms all opportunities to participate in hosting the biggest sporting events.”

Is Saudi Arabia planning to host an alcohol-free winter tournament with 48 teams?

The 2034 World Cup will be the first time a large-scale tournament with 48 teams will be held in one country. Saudi Arabia has already embarked on a huge infrastructure investment programme and Amnesty has warned that a World Cup requiring 15 stadiums and more than 100 training venues would increase the risk of serious labour abuses.

“In the last eight years, we have seen more than 150 reforms, most of which were in the area of ​​social reform, providing more opportunities for women and protecting workers’ rights,” Albalawi said. “For example, the wage protection system that went live under the Vision 2030 program. The abolition of the kefala system, which allowed workers to move freely.

“These are all examples of the great strides we have already made. We are at a very different starting point. We still have a long way to go and we are fully committed to delivering on all our commitments to our people and to our vision.”

It seems more than likely that the 2034 World Cup will have to be played in the winter again, like the 2022 Qatar World Cup which was played in November and December. Although daytime temperatures regularly exceed 40 degrees in the Saudi summer, the bid insists that it can host a tournament in June and July if that is what FIFA wants.

“We are ready to have this conversation with the football family,” Albalawi said. “Ultimately it is a FIFA decision with the confederations, the leagues and the FAs. We will be part of this discussion in due time. The football calendar is set until 2030. After that the conversation has to take place. We are ready to host when we are asked.”

Although 2034 is still 10 years away, two things are already certain. Firstly, that the tournament will take place in Saudi Arabia and secondly, that the tournament will be alcohol-free. It is illegal to drink alcohol in Saudi Arabia and there are no plans to relax the strict laws for the World Cup.

“We have hosted over 100 sporting events and welcomed three million sports fans without alcohol,” Albalawi said. “They have enjoyed their time and discovered what Saudi Arabia has to offer – entertainment, art, music, culture and heritage.”

Amnesty: FIFA has no excuse

Critics say FIFA has been seduced by what Saudi Arabia has to offer. It appears the bidding process has been so fast that the deals have been done behind closed doors, to ensure there is only one bidder for 2034.

“I can tell you that we are following the open process,” Albalawi said. “The bidding process was open to everyone and we put our name forward. We committed to all the obligations that were asked of us. We are very committed to having an open conversation. Our football industry is open, everyone can come and see what we have to offer. This is not about making things up or making headlines, this is real.

“Let’s put this into context. Twelve of the last World Cups were held in Europe, five in South America, two in Asia and one in Africa. This is about creating opportunities for people. Sixty percent of the world’s population lives in Asia. This is an opportunity for us to grow the game in new regions.”

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport, said: “If we were to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without significant human rights reforms, the tournament would undoubtedly be marred by exploitation, discrimination and oppression.

“Without a doubt, workers will die, activists will be arrested and fans will face discrimination. FIFA has no excuse. It claims to have introduced human rights standards into the World Cup bidding process, yet knows full well that there have been no real improvements in Saudi Arabia.

“FIFA’s own policy is that it should not award World Cup rights until full agreement has been reached on binding commitments to improve the protection of human rights.”