Abdullah Al-Hussain
DOI: https://doi.org/10.65271/COEG2100
Abstract
This study presents a preliminary legal reading of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, proceeding from the premise that mega sporting events impose upon the host state a set of legal obligations and legislative amendments required to satisfy the requirements of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The study aims to clarify the legal framework governing the hosting of the tournament, to examine the Qatari experience in organizing the 2022 edition as the closest precedent to the Saudi context in its religious, social and cultural dimensions, and to identify the principal challenges relating to human rights and the governmental guarantees required by FIFA. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical method supported by a comparative approach drawing on the legislative experiences of previous host states. It concludes that hosting the tournament constitutes a catalyst for accelerating legislative reform in the host state rather than a tool for the imposition of legislation by FIFA in a manner that infringes upon state sovereignty, and that the Kingdom submitted a bid that received the highest technical evaluation in the tournament’s history (419.8 out of 500), incorporating guarantees and measures relating to the protection of human rights consistent with the religious and cultural dimensions of the Kingdom. The study recommends early legislative and legal preparation for the tournament, drawing upon the Qatari experience, and highlighting national efforts to protect rights and to counter stereotypical narratives that recur in every international event hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Keywords: 2034 FIFA World Cup; FIFA; sports hosting; human rights; sports legislation; the Qatari experience