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Call to Halt Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup Bid Over Human Rights Concerns

Call to Halt Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup Bid Over Human Rights Concerns FIFA is under pressure from human rights groups to suspend Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 World Cup. Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance have called for significant human rights reforms in the kingdom before the upcoming vote.Concerns center around potential discrimination of LGBTQ people and exploitation of migrant workers, which Amnesty warns could result in “severe and widespread” violations. FIFA's evaluation reports for the bids are to be published before their extraordinary Congress on Dec. 11.Saudi Arabia, the sole bidder, claims to welcome all fans and plans to align its laws with international standards. However, Amnesty highlights ongoing issues, including repression of free speech and inadequate worker protections, reminiscent of past controversies surrounding Qatar.

FIFA is under pressure from human rights groups to suspend Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 World Cup. Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance have called for significant human rights reforms in the kingdom before the upcoming vote. Concerns center around potential discrimination of LGBTQ people and exploitation of migrant workers, which Amnesty warns could result in "severe and widespread" violations.

FIFA's evaluation reports for the bids are to be published before their extraordinary Congress on Dec. 11. Saudi Arabia, the sole bidder, claims to welcome all fans and plans to align its laws with international standards.

However, Amnesty highlights ongoing issues, including repression of free speech and inadequate worker protections, reminiscent of past controversies surrounding Qatar. (With inputs from agencies.).