October 24 – World governing body FIFA is again under fire following the accusation by trade union Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) that it is refusing to engage on human rights concerns in Saudi Arabia, defying its own human rights obligations.
In June, BWI lodged a formal complaint against Saudi Arabia with the International Labour Organization (ILO), claiming “an epidemic of abuses” against migrant workers in the Gulf country.
Under Article 24 of the ILO constitution, workers’ organisations can file a complaint based on failure to observe ratified conventions. BWI argues that Saudi Arabia failed to observe the ILO convention on forced labour, which the Arabian Kingdom ratified.
In a statement, BWI wrote that “despite serious, documented abuses of over 21,000 migrant workers, FIFA has chosen to ignore the voices of those who have been victims of forced labour and wage theft, failing to uphold its own commitments to human rights.”
Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder for the 2034 World Cup after FIFA gave other eligible nations less than a month to express interest in bidding and engineered a World Cup across three continents for the 2030 edition. Australia quickly dropped the idea of entering the 2034 race. On December 11, FIFA will stage an extraordinary congress online to award the hosting rights for the 2034 tournament.
“Rewarding Saudi Arabia with the 2034 FIFA World Cup without any robust assessment and without any mechanisms in place to prevent further abuses, is to endorse exploitation and injustice on a global stage,” said Ambet Yuson of BWI.
“Whilst no credible assessment of the Saudis’ human rights plans can be made without input from independent organisations on the ground, FIFA must immediately take responsibility and use its leverage to ensure justice for the thousands of workers who have been denied their most basic rights for more than a decade. The time for action is now – before any decision is finalised and injustice becomes a permanent stain on the world of sport.”
The trade union highlights that of the 8,830 Filipino workers who went without wages at the now‑defunct Saudi Oger company, only 1,352 have received compensation.
FIFA’s human rights policy requires host countries to comply with international labour standards. Article 7 of FIFA’s human rights policy also compels FIFA to consult stakeholders. It reads: “FIFA will constructively engage with the relevant authorities and other stakeholders and make every effort to uphold its international human rights responsibilities.”
This summer, Saudi Arabia released its bid book. FIFA mandates that all tournament bidders must have a human rights strategy in place, and the law firm Clifford Chance conducted an ‘independent context assessment’ of the bidders’ human rights strategy for the 2034 World Cup, making nine recommendations. Saudi Arabia enforces the kafala system, which gives employers and companies unchecked powers over workers.
When Saudi Arabia unveiled its plans for the 2034 World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote on Instagram: “Saudi Arabia is a very important partner for FIFA and is playing an important role in football development. They staged an outstanding and successful FIFA Club World Cup 2023 and have taken great steps to grow women’s football, which I saw first-hand while attending a Saudi Women’s Premier League game between Al Ahli and Al Ittihad last December.”
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