FIFA has awarded Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup, raising concerns about 'sportswashing' as critics accuse the Saudi regime of using the high-profile event to distract from its human rights record. The announcement comes after Qatar hosted the tournament in 2022 and Saudi Arabia's ambitious plans include extensive infrastructure development and stadium renovations to accommodate the influx of spectators.
FIFA has officially announced Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 World Cup , marking the second time the prestigious tournament will be held in a Gulf Arab nation and following Qatar in 2022. Saudi Arabia ’s ambitious plans include building or renovating 15 stadiums, constructing over 185,000 hotel rooms, and executing massive infrastructure projects to welcome the mass influx of spectators.
These stories, unfortunately, were not isolated incidents. The catalogue of abuse seemed unending, not just in the UAE, but across the Gulf region, making these countries some of the most perilous places to be a domestic worker. In Saudi Arabia, a 23-year-old Indonesian maid, Sumiati Binti Salan Mustapa, was taken to hospital with broken bones and severe burns, after her employer pressed a hot iron to her head and stabbed her with scissors.
Migrant laborers who have been silenced and kept out of media stories are now standing up for their rights, often at immense personal risk. That incident was the turning point for me. It spurred me to write my first book, an attempt to chronicle every untold story I was unable to publish in the newspaper I worked for. These stories deserved to be written, even if no one was willing to print them.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
FIFA World Cup Saudi Arabia Human Rights Sportswashing
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