Saudi Arabia world cup bid scores highest ever evaluation score

RIYADH: A FIFA bid evaluation report published on Saturday revealed that Saudi Arabia’ bid to host the World Cup received an outstanding evaluation score, making it probable that the world cup will head to the Kingdom in 2034.

Should the bid go through, which is extremely likely, not only due to the high evaluation score, but also the fact that Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder, the tournament will be hosted across five cities and 15 stadiums. The opening match and final will be held in the planned King Salman International Stadium in Riyadh.

The bid is the latest move in Saudi Arabia’s efforts to make itself the go-to sporting destination in the world, in turn improve its image on the international stage. It already hosts some of the largest boxing matches, such as Tyson Fury vs Oleksander Usyk, has a star studded football league, through signing talent such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr, and has a rival to the PGA tour in LIV Golf. Most recently, Saudia Arabia involved themselves in Cricket by hosting the Indian Premier League auction.

EVALUATION REPORT

“The Saudi Arabia bid for the FIFA World Cup 2034 presents a very strong all-round proposition, reflected in the results of the technical evaluation,” the report stated. The bid scored a total of 419.8 out of 500, with an average score of 4.2 out of five, the highest evaluation score of any previous bidder.

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One of the few areas that is labelled as having a medium risk is human rights. The Athletic stated that various organisations have raised concerns regarding a previously published human rights assessment from Clifford Chance, as it avoided discussing certain areas of human rights that were relevant to Saudi Arabia.

“It avoided delving into matters many would consider pertinent to Saudi, notably relating to freedom of expression, association and assembly, as well as LGBTQI+ discrimination, the prohibition of trade unions, the right to freedom of religion and forced evictions,” wrote The Athletic.

However, the bid evaluation found the assessment to be substantial. “FIFA recognises the substantial efforts that went into preparing the human rights-related submissions of the bid as well as the concrete commitments made by the bid and all local stakeholders,” the report stated. The report then states that FIFA and its local partners will aid Saudi Arabia in developing systems that would address possible risks. The evaluation also claims that the tournament could act as a “catalyst” by which future reforms could be established, resulting in “positive human rights outcomes for people in Saudi Arabia and the region that go beyond the scope of the tournament itself.”

Other areas that are considered medium level concerns include stadiums, accommodation, transport, and event timing. In regards to stadiums, the risk comes from the fact that eight of the proposed 15 stadiums are new-builds. But, the evaluation report notes that “some stadium projects have already commenced.” Similarly, the size of the proposed accommodation inventory increases risk as well. And in terms of transport, Saudi Arabia’s plans to expand airports and introduce enhanced public transport creates an elevated risk due to the scale of the project.

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Lastly, in regards to event timing, a specific window for the event is not proposed. The evaluation report states that due to the football schedule, other sports events, and climate conditions, there is an elevated risk.