Riyadh will take a measured, domestic approach to its World Cup

The sense that the 2034 tournament will be ‘by Saudis, for Saudis’ looms large

December 24, 2024, 3:22 PM

Hammad Albalawi, head of the 2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup bid, speaks at the World Football Summit Asia

The Asian edition of the World Football Summit was held in Riyadh at the start of December – just days ahead of Fifa’s “affirmation” that Saudi Arabia will stage the men’s World Cup in 2034.

The likely marriage of convenience between football’s global governing body and Saudi Arabia’s sporting institutions made for an interesting backstory to the two-day event, which was attended by more than 2,000 people.

The fact that the summit was based in the King Abdullah Financial District was hugely symbolic. Outside the various venues, PIF’s headquarters building was omnipresent in one’s eyeline.

Hosting the World Cup is an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to reassert its place in the world

State and big money were two of the dominant motifs. Indeed, few were left in any doubt about the significance of PIF’s role in Saudi Arabian football – or the importance of World Cup hosting to Saudi Arabia’s economic, geopolitical and socio-cultural ambitions.

Beyond Riyadh’s party atmosphere – special fan celebration zones were being prepared even a week before the Fifa announcement – tension nevertheless remained. One sensed that Saudi officials had worked hard to mitigate as many risks as possible, though they were not prepared to make assumptions about the bid’s ultimate outcome.

Even so, the nature and tone of the messaging coming from bid officials was one of assertive confidence, as Saudi Arabia anticipated returning to a rightful position of visibility and power.

A sense that the World Cup would be “by Saudis, for Saudis” loomed large, with one government official even going so far as to say, “We’re doing this for us, we’re not doing it for you.”

It was made very clear that Saudi Arabia will not be Qatar Mk 2. As investors, speculators and entrepreneurs ready themselves for a 10-year programme of World Cup investments, it is fast becoming evident that Saudi officials are not prepared to countenance the grifters who may come to take but not to leave behind.

Similarities to Qatar in terms of climate and culture mean the 2034 World Cup will be rescheduled away from its usual June slot. This happened for Qatar in 2022 and, given the world’s pivot to the Global South, such changes will become increasingly common.

Saudi Arabia's organisation and regulation of, for example, domestic labour markets will be scrutinised in the same way as the "kafala" system was for Qatar.

However, Saudi Arabia is a much bigger country with a population 10 times bigger than that of Qatar – the majority of whom are Saudi Arabians rather than migrants.

Historically, the kingdom has also been more powerful, regionally and globally. Hosting the World Cup therefore constitutes an opportunity to reassert its place in the world, especially at the heart of an Afro-Eurasian new world order. The demographics of the summit's delegate, speaker and exhibitor lists were entirely in keeping with this proposition.

It remains a moot point whether Qatar got best value for money in spending $230 billion on the 2022 tournament. Despite claims it was the best World Cup, observers still wonder about financial waste and the opportunistic nature of the prospectors who took advantage of Qatari wealth.

Saudi Arabia appears determined not to fall into the same trap as its smaller neighbour. The management and control of budgetary decisions seems to be more measured and stringent.

As such, Saudi Arabia’s World Cup will look very different from Qatar’s, with officials in Riyadh already making bold claims about its success. It will be big, lavish and bold, but in a way that is primarily intended to make Saudi Arabia great again.

The country will need help and overseas visitors will be welcomed, but the intended legacies will be framed in terms of what is best for the kingdom and its citizens.

Simon Chadwick is professor of sport and geopolitical economy at Skema Business School in France