Sports media reported that the head of Saudi Arabia‘s bidding unit for hosting the 2034 World Cup, Hammad Al-Balawi, said that the Kingdom welcomes hosting members of the “LGBT” community. , that is, homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender people, in the competition.
Al-Balawi told the website:Four twoAl Riyadi, who mentioned the disagreements caused by this file when Qatar hosted the last World Cup, said, “We followed a very public process throughout the competition, and we met all the requirements according to FIFA standards.”
Al-Balawi said, “We invite people to visit Saudi Arabia and really understand our country. This is the best way to give an idea about the Kingdom.”
According to the website, more than 100 female soccer players said they were uncomfortable with FIFA’s partnership with oil company Saudi Aramco, due to concerns about women’s rights in the country.
In response to this, Al-Balawi stressed, “Come visit Saudi Arabia.
“We started the women’s football project two and a half years ago, and we now have three divisions, many clubs and more to come. We started making sure that schools have resources so that young girls can play,” he said.
He continued, “Two years ago, we had no registered girls playing soccer in schools, and now there are over 80,000 girls. Young girls play soccer because they love it. .”
Women have only been allowed to enter football stadiums in Saudi Arabia since 2018, as part of reforms in the country in recent years led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Saudi women’s team only played their first game two years ago, but have since hired Barcelona’s former Champions League-winning coach, Luis Cortes.
Regarding dealing with alcohol regulations, Al-Balawi was asked if hosting the World Cup could help change Saudi society for the better, which could lead to the creation of new laws. “We have already seen many new policies and laws that have given people more opportunities,” he said “In the field of women, for example, we have a law that says there is no gender pay gap.”
He said, “Reforms happen every day, and not because we are hosting the World Cup.”
Saudi Arabia has not yet confirmed whether alcohol will be allowed at the World Cup, and only registered diplomats are currently allowed to drink it.
When asked if that might prevent some fans from traveling, Al Balawi said it shouldn’t.
He said: “There are many reasons for visiting. Did you feel safe, did you enjoy your time in Saudi Arabia? You have a real passion for the game.”
He said, “I respect the fans who want access to alcohol, and they can get it in many countries around the world, but in Saudi Arabia they come for other reasons. “
The host of the 2034 World Cup will be determined at the next FIFA conference on December 11, but the winner is already known, as Saudi Arabia competes without rivals and will host the tournament for its ‘ first time, 12 years after Qatar hosted the 2022. event.
By doing so, the Middle Eastern country will also become the first country to host a 48-team World Cup on its own.
The 2026 tournament will be held between the United States, Canada and Mexico, while it will be hosted by a group of Spain, Portugal and Morocco, as well as games in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay in 2030.
Saudi Arabia has pumped huge amounts of money over the past few years into many sports, including football, Formula 1, and golf, while critics accused of using the Public Investment Fund to exploit sports to “wash” their human rights record.
The country denies allegations of human rights violations and says it protects its national security through its laws.
Two months before FIFA was expected to confirm Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 World Cup last October, experts and activists again urged FIFA on Friday to allow an independent investigation. on the Kingdom’s human rights obligations for the tournament, according to the Associated Press.
A group of legal and human rights experts as well as Saudi activists abroad are calling on FIFA to include ongoing reviews, and a possible cancellation clause, in the contract to host the Cup the World 2034.
The advisers who arrived in Zurich on Friday want FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has close ties to Saudi political and football leaders, to learn from how Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup. because Doha won the group without providing a strong legal guarantee.
Saudi Arabia, like Qatar, is a traditionally conservative society and needs a massive construction project that relies on migrant workers to build stadiums and other infrastructure for the world’s biggest football event .
“There are no excuses now,” British lawyer Rodney Dixon told the Associated Press: “If it means they have to reach a different kind of deal in December, then so be it.” to do.”
Contracts to host the World Cup will be signed after the December 11 decision by more than 200 FIFA member associations in an online meeting, with Saudi Arabia being the only candidate for 2034.
“We are not naive,” said Dixon. “FIFA’s role is not to change the world. They are not the United Nations.” The briefing in FIFA City came two days after the United Nations General Assembly in New York rejected a Saudi bid for a seat on the 47-nation Human Rights Council for the next three years.
On Friday, FIFA’s prospective advisers pointed to Saudi Arabia’s history of freedom of expression and assembly, and labor and protection laws that limit women’s freedoms.
After Infantino’s first election in 2016, when Qatar was investigated and the treatment of foreign workers increased, FIFA requested a human rights strategy from the World Cup hosts at the time to come
In May, FIFA received an offer from legal and human rights experts to establish an independent process to monitor progress in Saudi Arabia.
2024-11-16 15:18:00
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