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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Pete Pattisson

Saudi Arabia World Cup bid report accused of ‘whitewashing’ rights abuses

Officials stand in a line in front of huge letters that spell 'Jeddah' and behind a sign whihc reads 'Growing. Together' and gives the official bid url and displays the Saudi 2034 and Fifa logos.
The official Fifa inspection visit of Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 World Cup in October 2024. Photograph: Saudi Arabia FA

A report by the Saudi arm of a global law firm on Saudi Arabia’s 2034 Fifa World Cup bid has “whitewashed” the Gulf kingdom’s record of exploiting and suppressing the rights of migrant workers, rights groups have claimed.

AS&H Clifford Chance was commissioned to independently assess the human rights implications of the bid, but the report “contains no substantive discussion of extensive and relevant abuses in Saudi Arabia”, according to a statement released by 11 organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

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