Salem Badughaish
Saudi Arabia has confirmed its interest in hosting the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup, adding to its existing bid to host the 2034 men's tournament. The Middle Eastern kingdom has made significant progress in promoting women's football in recent years, establishing a national team and launching a domestic league. However, the country's human rights record, particularly its treatment of women, remains a major concern. Monika Staab, the technical director of the Saudi Arabian women's team, has expressed her hope that the country can host the Women's World Cup in 2035.
She believes it would be a significant milestone for the development of women's football in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East as a whole. However, there are some doubts about whether Saudi Arabia would be able to meet FIFA's requirements for hosting a major international tournament. The country has limited experience hosting major sporting events, and its infrastructure is still under development. Additionally, FIFA has been criticized in the past for awarding tournaments to countries with poor human rights records. If Saudi Arabia is successful in its bid to host the 2035 Women's World Cup, it would be a major test for FIFA's commitment to promoting human rights and gender equality.
The tournament would also be an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to showcase its progress on women's rights and to promote the sport of women's football in the Middle East. However, it is important to note that Saudi Arabia still has a long way to go on women's rights. The country's male guardianship system gives men the power to make many important decisions on behalf of their female relatives, and women are still subject to a number of other restrictions. It remains to be seen whether Saudi Arabia would be able to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all participants in the 2035 Women's World Cup, but the tournament could be a significant opportunity for the country to promote change and progress.
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