Saudi's World Cup bid report labelled 'flawed'

An independent human rights assessment prepared for Saudi Arabia's successful 2034 World Cup bid is "flawed" and "misleading", rights groups said on Oct 29.

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The report, from Riyadh-based law firm AS&H Clifford Chance, ignores fundamental standards such as the International Bill of Human Rights, 11 groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said.

The document also makes "highly selective" use of United Nations assessments and fails to consult credible external stakeholders, such as Saudi human rights experts, they added.

The assessment was drawn up as the Gulf kingdom pushed to host the 2034 World Cup. The world's top oil exporter quickly emerged as the sole bidder and will be rubber-stamped in December.

No comment was immediately available from the law firm or the Saudi authorities. The statement's other signatories included Fair Square, Equidem, Football Supporters Europe and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights.