Saudi Arabia’s appointment because the host for the 2034 FIFA World Cup marks a serious milestone in its bid to determine itself as a world hub for main sports activities occasions.
However, a number of key questions stay concerning logistics, social reforms and geopolitical challenges within the lead-up to the match.
Stadiums and infrastructure
Saudi Arabia has proposed 15 stadiums, eight of that are nonetheless within the planning phases, unfold throughout 5 cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, Al Khobar and Neom.
The capital, Riyadh, will host each the opening match and the ultimate at a 92,000-seat venue.
Innovative designs are deliberate, together with a stadium perched 350 meters above road degree in Neom and one other on a 200-meter cliff close to Riyadh.
While Saudi Arabia goals to host all 104 video games, hypothesis exists that some matches may happen in neighboring international locations to handle logistics.
Tricky timing
The match’s timing stays unsure, particularly given the area’s excessive summer time temperatures exceeding 40 levels Celsius (104 levels Fahrenheit).
FIFA moved the Qatar 2022 World Cup to the winter months, between November and December and related changes could also be vital for Saudi Arabia.
Replicating the Qatar format for 2034 may need appeared easy, however in contrast to 2022, the scenario in Saudi Arabia presents distinctive challenges.
As a Muslim nation, Saudi Arabia shall be observing Ramadan, a sacred month in Islam.
Scheduling soccer matches throughout this time will undoubtedly be a tough problem.
January 2034 has been proposed, although it’s near the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, elevating issues about back-to-back occasions.
Ultimately, the dates shall be determined by FIFA in session with international confederations.
Social reforms
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 modernization program contains efforts to broaden girls’s rights, corresponding to permitting girls to attend sports activities occasions and take part within the newly launched skilled girls’s soccer league.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has positioned himself as a champion of reforms, even lifting the ban on girls driving – an unimaginable transfer up to now.
The Gulf nation has additionally made strides in embracing girls’s participation in sports activities.
For instance, the annual WWE Crown Jewel occasion has turn out to be a serious spectacle, the place feminine wrestlers, although required to decorate modestly, are actually allowed to compete within the ring.
By 2034, feminine followers shall be totally built-in into stadiums with out restrictions.
However, the dominion’s strict alcohol legal guidelines, which prohibit consumption in public areas, may create challenges, particularly for sponsors accustomed to alcohol gross sales at such occasions.
Labor rights and employee protections
Labor rights, notably for migrant employees tasked with setting up World Cup venues, stay a contentious concern.
While Saudi Arabia has pledged to implement reforms and enhance protections, there’s skepticism from rights teams, and the U.N.-backed International Labor Organization is investigating formal complaints.
Saudi Arabia is decided to keep away from the controversies that plagued its neighboring desert nation, Qatar, within the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup.
Geopolitical tensions
Saudi Arabia’s improved relations with Israel had been a constructive signal for the World Cup bid.
However, the political panorama shifted dramatically following the Oct. 2023 Hamas incursion on Israel which in return Tel Aviv has massacred greater than 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
Though FIFA’s bidding course of mandates that every one qualifying groups are welcome, the potential for diplomatic tensions affecting the match stays a priority, particularly in mild of the 2022 Under-20 World Cup controversy.
2030 World Cup
Meanwhile, FIFA additionally confirmed the hosts for the 2030 World Cup.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco will share the match, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay internet hosting one sport every to mark the centenary of the primary World Cup.
The last is scheduled for July 21, 2030, although tensions might come up over its location, with Morocco proposing the King Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, whereas Spain favors a venue in Madrid or Barcelona.
Source: www.dailysabah.com