FIFA has declared that Saudi Arabia will be the host of the 2034 men’s World Cup, marking a return to the Middle East for the planet’s largest football tournament.
Throughout the bidding process, numerous issues regarding human rights abuses, labor rights, and LGBTQ+ standards were raised. Moreover, hosting a football event in a desert petrostate involves significant environmental implications, necessitating vast construction of new stadiums and airports, alongside a strong desire to improve its global image through greenwashing.
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The Saudi bid highlighted “environmental sustainability” as a key objective, claiming that the nation is “transforming its landscape” with environmental protection at the heart of the plan. While this appears encouraging in theory, what will be the real cost?
The tournament is set to occur across five cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha, and the ambitious megaproject of Neom, which is still in its planning stages. Out of the anticipated 15 stadiums, 11 are either under construction or yet to be built. Although the proposed designs for these venues look impressive, they come with considerable environmental challenges that largely remain unaddressed.
In Riyadh, the new Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium will feature iridescent glass, LED displays, solar panels, and “perforated shimmering metal”. The Saudi authorities contend that this will help create a cutting-edge aesthetic.
Meanwhile, the Neom stadium is said to operate entirely on renewable energy sourced mainly from wind and solar power. This ambitious initiative theoretically aligns with a broader national policy aiming for a 50% reliance on renewable energy by 2030. However, renewables currently comprise less than 1% of Saudi Arabia’s electricity supply, making such a swift transition highly unlikely.
The newly proposed Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar is named after the state-owned oil behemoth, the largest oil producer in the world. Aramco’s sponsorship of FIFA has sparked controversy and recent campaigns. In October, over 100 women’s professional footballers urged FIFA to end its partnership with Aramco, dubbing it a “punch in the stomach”.
The robust ties between major oil companies and football stand in contrast to the claim that sustainability is a fundamental aim of FIFA, as well as Saudi Arabia’s goal of “environmental stewardship”.
National Transportation Expansion
Saudi Arabia currently operates 16 international airports and 13 domestic airports, in addition to private jet facilities at various hosting sites. Still, these infrastructures are undergoing expansion for the tournament.
For example, the main airport in Jeddah is expected to boost its capacity from 43 million to 90 million passengers annually, while Abha’s airport will increase from 1 million to 10 million. The new Neom International Airport is slated to handle 20 million passengers.
This considerable expansion is likely to result in increased carbon emissions, raising questions about the necessity of such development solely for sporting events. Is it really essential to build new airports for tournaments that happen every few years? This concern is intensified when considering that other nations, such as the US, Canada, and Mexico, already possess most of the necessary infrastructure for the upcoming 2026 tournament.
Many of these new stadiums risk becoming white elephants, as their projected capacities often exceed 45,000, which is significantly more than the average attendance for any team in the Saudi Pro League during the 2024-25 season.
Nevertheless, there are positive signs indicating that Saudi Arabia may enhance public transportation in the host cities, including electric or hydrogen bus and rail services.
The World Cup proposal also includes plans to create pedestrian pathways and encourage bike and e-scooter rentals nearby stadiums. All “fan festivals,” intended for supporters to gather, are designed to be within walking distance of hotels.
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However, previous studies indicate that Saudis are less likely to cycle and walk compared to people in other countries. This raises concerns regarding the long-term impact of such projects. If the usage of these walkways and bike lanes is minimal after the tournament, the environmental benefits of creating this infrastructure may be uncertain.
Energy Generation
In line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, the nation aims to leverage the World Cup as a platform for transitioning towards renewable energy sources.
Stadiums are expected to be designed and constructed using locally sourced materials and eco-friendly energy systems. For instance, the South Riyadh Stadium will utilize indigenous plants and incorporate rainwater harvesting technologies.
Nevertheless, the bid documentation lacks detailed information regarding how the yet-to-be-constructed transportation services and venue infrastructures will effectively utilize renewable energy or how this approach will ultimately decrease the country’s dependence on oil and gas.
Recently, the Saudi government has been striving to diversify its economy beyond oil, focusing on other sectors, such as mining. However, there appears to be a lack of commitment to pursuing substantial investments in renewable technologies. Actions taken by Saudi Arabia during the recent Cop29 climate summit, where it played a key role in obstructing moves away from fossil fuels, raise doubts about its intentions.
Moreover, previous World Cups (notably Qatar 2022) made ambitious commitments regarding the effective repurposing of stadiums and ongoing support from energy-efficient technologies. However, these promises have often failed to materialize.
Hosting the World Cup in Saudi Arabia, amidst a climate crisis, presents substantial environmental risks due to stadium construction, transportation expansions, and increased energy consumption. These issues have not been adequately addressed in the country’s plans. Concerns regarding sponsorship affiliations and greenwashing may hinder aspirations to establish itself as a leader in global environmental sustainability.
Matthew Hutchinson, Lecturer in Sport Business Management, Keele University and Seth I. Kirby, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Leisure Management, Nottingham Trent University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
