Saudi Arabia has achieved a new victory: the 2034 FIFA World Cup

Petro-dollars rule in today's football. After Qatar, another country in the Persian Gulf region will host the world's most important football competition. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has declared its readiness to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, either in the summer or winter, following FIFA's announcement that the kingdom is the sole candidate to host the tournament. "We are prepared to handle all possibilities," stated the President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser Al-Misehal. Saudi Arabia's candidacy comes less than a year after Qatar hosted the first Winter World Cup. In the summer, temperatures in the Gulf region can soar up to 50 degrees Celsius, making it one of the hottest places in the world. "There are many new technologies that can be used to cool the stadiums or add air conditioning units, not to mention that many cities in the kingdom have a very pleasant atmosphere during the summer," Yasser Al-Misehal added. After Australia decided not to bid, as FIFA gave them a surprisingly early 25-day deadline to express their interest, the prospect of another World Cup in the Gulf within 12 years is now a mere formality. However, the lack of a competitive bidding process and the swiftness of the procedure have raised concerns among human rights groups. Amnesty International has called on FIFA to withdraw if human rights commitments are not met. "Human rights commitments must be agreed upon with potential hosts before final decisions on tournament hosting are made," said Steve Cockburn, the head of economic and social justice at Amnesty, adding, "FIFA must now make it clear how it expects hosts to meet its human rights policies. It must also be prepared to halt the bidding process if serious human rights risks are not credibly addressed. FIFA's best chance to secure mandatory guarantees to protect workers' rights, ensure freedom of expression, and prevent World Cup-related discrimination is during the host selection process - not after hosts have been confirmed, and tournament preparations have begun." Saudi Arabia has until July 2024 to submit its complete candidacy. FIFA is set to release its evaluations by the end of the following year, before a confirmation vote at its Congress.