Saudi World Cup chief claims LGBTQ+ football fans ‘welcome’ despite death penalty
Saudi Arabia World Cup bid chief claims LGBTQ+ fans will be ‘welcome’ in the country, which carries the death penalty for homosexuality (Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
The man in charge of Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the men’s football World Cup in 2034 has said LGBTQ+ fans will be “welcome” in the country, despite anti-gay laws.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Hammad Albalawi said LGBTQ+ fans would be “respected” and “welcome” in the country, even though football clubs have told queer fans to be “especially cautious” if they plan to visit.
“We are on a journey of remarkable transformation,” Albalawi said. “It’s the natural next step for us to aspire to bring the World Cup to Saudi Arabia and we’re very excited about it. You will be respected, you will be welcome and that respect and welcome is to everyone from all around the world.
“We respect the privacy of all of our guests. We have seen millions of guests come to Saudi Arabia in the [past] few years. We’ve hosted over a hundred sporting events, attended by more than three million fans who have enjoyed their experience.
“People need to educate themselves about the kingdom and the best way to do that is to come and visit. They will find hospitable Saudis. We would love to receive all our guests.”
But experts and organisations have claimed LGBTQ+ fans could feel “unsafe” in the Middle East country, with Stonewall urging world governing body FIFA to “prioritise safety for everyone” ahead of the tournament.
“Hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup will put Saudi Arabia in the global spotlight. This is an opportunity for the international and sporting community to challenge Saudi Arabia on human rights and equality issues and keep calling for change even after the final whistle is blown,” a Stonewall spokesperson said.
Equaldex, which marks countries based on their queer rights, has awarded Saudi just 16 out of 100. Homosexuality is punishable by death in the petroleum-rich nation and there are no protections against LGBTQ+ discrimination, while conversion therapy remains legal. According to the rankings of all world countries, Saudi Arabia is 159th in terms of LGBTQ+ equality. Qatar, where the World Cup was held in 2022, was rated 183rd.
LGBTQ+ fans were shocked to learn that Saudi Arabia would be hosting the prestigious tournament so soon after it was held in Qatar, where it is also illegal to be gay.
When the news broke, Jon Holmes, the founder of Sports Media LGBT+, said: “Eleven years to go until the Saudi World Cup. Eleven years of trying to talk constructively about global warming, human rights abuses, capital punishment, migrant workers and the criminalisation of LGBTQ+ people, and then to be told by the people with influence to focus on the football.”
The Proud Sky Blues, Coventry City’s LGBTQ+ supporters’ group, added: “FIFA showing their true colours once again. They do not care about human rights or inclusivity. They care only about one thing: cha-ching.”
Speaking about the World Cup in Qatar, out gay Aussie footballer Josh Cavallo said he wouldn’t feel safe in Saudi Arabia either.
“It’s sad to say, but even in my football career, there [are] certain countries I will not go to and play club football or with the national team,” he said in April 2023. “To know that I’m limited in certain countries, because they don’t approve of how I love, or how I live my life, is quite saddening. I wouldn’t want to be entering a space like that at the moment. There’s a lot of improvement that needs to happen before [I’d] consider that.”
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