Hammad Albalawi, the head of Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid, emphasized the nation’s significant progress in human rights, particularly in labor laws, as part of its broader Vision 2030 transformation. He highlighted the country’s commitment to creating a more inclusive society and improving its social and economic landscape, aiming to attract “more fans than ever” to the 48-team tournament.
Saudi Arabia remains the sole candidate for the 2034 World Cup, with FIFA set to vote on the bid next week, despite ongoing concerns about the country’s human rights record. Albalawi stated that the improvements in labor rights, such as granting workers more freedom to change employers and integrating employee documents into government systems, are a direct result of the country’s Vision 2030 initiative.
“This journey started in 2016, long before we considered bidding for the World Cup,” Albalawi explained. “These initiatives are part of who we are and what we are committed to, not just about the World Cup.” He also pointed out the recent introduction of a government insurance policy for employees as a positive example of the ongoing reforms.
Albalawi expressed the goal of making the World Cup a record-breaking event, with more teams and fans than ever before. In response to human rights groups, including Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance, who have called for FIFA to halt the bidding process unless reforms are made, he reassured that the event would be held in a safe, family-friendly environment. While alcohol was banned at the 2022 World Cup in neighboring Qatar, he emphasized that Saudi Arabia has hosted over 100 global sporting events without alcohol, yet still attracted millions of fans.
He also pointed to the rapid growth of women’s football in Saudi Arabia as evidence of the country’s social progress. “Just three years ago, there were no girls playing football in schools due to a lack of facilities,” he said. “Today, with the infrastructure now in place, over 80,000 girls are playing football.”
