Saudi Arabia FIFA Bid a Resounding Success

After holding a virtual meeting focused on evaluating Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, the “Fédération Internationale de Football Association,” (otherwise known as FIFA or the “International Federation of Associated Football) announced its approval of the bid, receiving the highest score in FIFA’s history at 419.8 out of a possible 500. This achievement honors the KSA with the milestone of being the first nation to host all 48 teams within the country, a welcomed success for a culture that embraces this beloved sport from the ground up. In terms of entertainment, football enthusiasts will be front and center lining up to participate in the events, but in terms of readiness, infrastructure, etc., there is still a good amount of work to do to prepare for such a monumental occasion, but ultimately, that’s a good thing which will propel Saudi’s progress toward Project 2030’s objectives. The bid to host the World Cup included a 15-stadium circuit to accommodate the schedule of matches. In that list of hosting cities are NEOM, Khobar, Riyadh, ABHA, and Jeddah, as well as 10 other hosting locations nationwide, most (if not all) of whom will begin taking steps to ensure that there will be ample accommodations and commodities available to the waves of tourists that will be hitting the scenes.

 According to Saudi Arabia’s submission file, Saudi Arabia must secure 230,000 hotel rooms by 2034, a monumental task since there are currently roughly 45,000 rooms available. For the citizens of the KSA, this means there will be an influx of construction work, along with other jobs created to encircle these new projects. Authorities informed the Arab News publication that Saudi Arabia could anticipate an increase in GDP ranging from $9 billion to $14 billion, the generation of 1.5 million new employment opportunities, and the development of 230,000 hotel rooms across five host cities to host visiting fans and dignitaries which will be an enormous injection of revenue for businesses catering to the tourist sectors. Securing the bid to host the 2034 World Cup marks a significant achievement for Saudi Arabia, symbolizing not only a sporting victory but also a tactical decision to enhance its global presence, improve its reputation internationally, and pursue its goal of becoming a key competitor in the football arena, possibly utilizing the sport for economic growth and the projection of soft power.

 The 2034 FIFA World Cup will, without a doubt, significantly impact the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia domestically and internationally, not only during the event itself but also throughout the build-up until then. The nation will benefit from the foreign investments that will arise, the sports diplomacy inherent with such an event, enhanced regional cooperation, furthering the development of the sport within the country and abroad, and various levels of social enhancements that come with the touristic territory. After all the improvements are made and the World Cup comes and goes, these 15 cities scattered across the nation will be poised to take on other major events easily, now having infrastructural integrity and accommodations capable of continuing forward.

@ayghamd