The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has officially launched its bid campaign to host the men’s World Cup in 2034.
Following the announcement of Saudi Arabia’s intention to bid last October, SAFF has begun its campaign that includes the unveiling of its bid logo and official website.
Under the slogan “Growing. Together”, SAFF say their bid seeks to highlight the parallel between Saudi Arabia’s rapid development and the transformative potential of hosting the World Cup while the logo is made up of intertwined rows of multi-coloured ribbons, displaying football and cultural symbols.
President of SAFF, Yasser Al Misehal, said: “Telling our football story to the world is of massive importance. And we believe Growing. Together. is the perfect, yet simple description of our approach to hopefully hosting the tournament in 10 years’ time.
“Bidding to host a FIFA World Cup is only made possible by the rapid transformation the country is enjoying. We’ve made unprecedented progress in both the men’s and women’s game and our bid is an open invitation to the world to join us on this exciting journey.”
Hammad Albalawi, head of the SAFF World Cup 2034 bid unit, added: “This campaign is powered by the hopes and dreams of 32 million people in Saudi Arabia. Our responsibility is to submit the best possible bid to FIFA, make our country proud and fulfil the trust placed upon us by more than 130 Member Associations across the world who supported our bid.”
The #Saudi2034bid logo 🌎
The logo forms the shape of Saudi’s map outline, and ribbons merge to create “34”– the year that Saudi Arabia dreams of hosting the 25th edition of the FIFA World Cup™. 🌟#GrowingTogether
Find out more ▶️ https://t.co/uQx8uH7rO4 pic.twitter.com/UAeFCKABIQ— Saudi Arabian Football Federation (@saudiff_en) March 1, 2024
Saudi Arabia was confirmed as the sole candidate to host the 2034 men’s World Cup in October, after Australia decided not to bid.
FIFA’s deadline for declarations of interest was October 31, and less than a day before that cut-off point, Football Australia made it clear they would not be bidding to host the competition.
Saudi Arabia had publicly declared its interest in hosting the 2034 tournament earlier that month, with backing from the president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
SAFF emphasised its commitment to delivering a “world-class tournament” for the 25th edition.
Much like 2022 host Qatar, Saudi Arabia’s human rights record has come under intense scrutiny as has the country’s treatment of women and its view on same-sex relationships.
Mass executions, for a variety of crimes, are still common and critics of the government face house arrest, imprisonment and even torture while the conditions the vast migrant worker population live and work in have been heavily criticised as they were in Qatar.
Human Rights Watch’s director of global initiatives, Minky Worden, in October said: “With Saudi Arabia’s estimated 13.4million migrant workers, inadequate labour and heat protections and no unions, no independent human rights monitors and no press freedom, there is every reason to fear for the lives of those who would build and service stadiums, transit, hotels and other hosting infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.”
(FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
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