Saudi Arabia’s hosting bid for 2034 World Cup 'falls far short' on human rights

‘Bid book’ shows country has failed to tackle labour exploitation, repression of activists or laws discriminating against women and LGBTI people

Joint 2030 bid from Morocco, Portugal and Spain also has serious gaps on excessive use of force by security forces

‘Saudi Arabia’s World Cup human rights plan says nothing about the brutal muzzling of human rights activists or criminalisation of LGBTI people’ - Steve Cockburn

Saudi Arabia has failed to meet FIFA’s own human rights requirements in its bid for the 2034 men’s World Cup, Amnesty International said today following the publication of its “bid book” for the 48-team tournament.

Key gaps also remain in plans for the 2030 World Cup to be held in Morocco, Portugal and Spain.

An analysis of the bid book and tournament “human rights plans” published yesterday evening show that Saudi Arabia has still failed to commit to fundamental reform of its exploitative labour system, or commit to take action to improve freedom of expression, end the repression of human rights activists or remove laws that discriminate against women and LGBTI people.

An “independent human rights context analysis” by law firm AS&H Clifford Chance to inform the bid also made no mention of a wide range of human rights issues, including the prohibition on trade unions, a longstanding clampdown on freedom of expression, widely-documented practices of forced eviction or the criminalisation of same-sex acts. No civil society organisations or rights-holders were consulted in the preparation of the document, which instead only received input from governmental bodies. 

In June, Amnesty published a 91-page report - Playing a Dangerous Game? - outlining the key human rights risks associated with the potential hosts of both the 2030 and 2034 World Cups. Yesterday, FIFA published the bid books submitted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain for the 2030 World Cup and Saudi Arabia for 2034. The bid books were accompanied by human rights plans and “independent human rights context assessments” that were supposed to highlight major risks. According to FIFA’s own bidding regulations, outlined as “legally binding obligations”, bids must meet a wide range of international human rights standards in order to be accepted. These include standards on labour rights, discrimination, forced evictions, freedom of expression, policing and other issues. FIFA will now evaluate the bid books in advance of an extraordinary FIFA Congress on 11 December, when a decision is set to be finalised.  

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport, said:

“FIFA set clear human rights standards that any bidding country must meet, yet it is clear that Saudi Arabia’s bid for the 2034 World Cup currently falls far short. 

“The bid’s human rights plan simply ignores many of the enormous risks associated with hosting a mega sporting event in a country with such an atrocious human rights record.

“Saudi Arabia’s World Cup human rights plan says nothing about the brutal muzzling of human rights activists or criminalisation of LGBTI people, nor does it outline whether or how it will put an end in practice to the abusive kafala system that exploits migrant workers. It is astonishing that such blatant risks can be so flagrantly ignored.  

“Without urgent action to improve Saudi Arabia’s human rights protections, it is highly likely that the 2034 World Cup will be blighted by forced labour, repression and discrimination - with a brutal human cost. 

“FIFA must now work with the Saudi authorities to obtain legally-binding agreements to address the human rights risks in full before any final decision is made in December, or be prepared to walk away. 

“The Saudi authorities should also demonstrate a commitment to human rights by releasing activists who have been imprisoned solely for expressing their opinion.” 

2030 bid by Morocco, Portugal and Spain 

A number of key human rights risks associated with hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup in Morocco, Portugal and Spain also remain unaddressed. Amnesty’s recent report highlighted significant challenges related to the enforcement of labour standards, discrimination, housing, policing and freedom of expression.

The human rights plans submitted for the 2030 tournament - developed without consultation with human rights organisations or fans representatives - fall short of providing detailed commitments about how many of these risks will be addressed. For example, while fans in all three countries have been subjected to excessive use of force by security forces - including the use of rubber bullets against crowds - there are no detailed plans about how such violations will be prevented.  

Steve Cockburn said: 

“There are also clear risks associated with the 2030 World Cup that must be tackled in Morocco, Portugal and Spain - not least the excessive use of force by police against fans, the enforcement of labour standards and the risk of forced evictions. 

“Much more specific plans are needed to ensure that the tournament meets international human rights standards, working closely with fans’ groups, players, trade unions and civil society organisations.

“Awarding the 2030 tournament to Morocco, Portugal and Spain should also be used as a catalyst in the fight against racist, sexist and homophobic discrimination that has too often tarnished football in all three countries. This should include removing discriminatory legislation and working with affected groups on strategies to prevent harassment and promote inclusion.”