2034 World Cup visitors will live in 'a bubble' and not see real life, Saudi rights activist says
A Saudi human rights activist says soccer fans visiting Saudi Arabia for the 2034 World Cup will live in a “bubble” that doesn't reflect real life there
LONDON (AP) — Soccer fans visiting Saudi Arabia for the 2034 World Cup will live in a “bubble” during the tournament that does not reflect real life there, a Saudi rights activist warned on Thursday.
After FIFA confirmed the kingdom as the 2034 tournament host on Wednesday, the soccer body president Gianni Infantino acknowledged “the world will be watching” to see positive social change.
Human rights groups believe migrant workers’ lives will be at risk building stadiums and other projects for the World Cup, and Saudi Arabia’s laws limiting freedoms for women and LGBTQ+ people have been criticized at the United Nations Human Rights council.
“Western people will be very safe. They will see a bubble of what Saudi Arabia is,” Lina al-Hathloul, a Saudi activist with the London-based rights group ALQST, said.
