Saudi, Egypt, Greece to go ahead with FIFA World Cup bid despite human rights concerns

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Greece have announced that they will go ahead with their bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

The trio are up against two other joint proposals – Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay and Spain and Portugal.

Saudi has said it will cover the majority of the costs and host most of the matches and it will be held in the winter, like Qatar, due to the high temperatures.

Saudi Arabia will build at least two new stadiums, whilst Egypt will build at least one, according to the Daily Mail.

Greece has come under fire for teaming up with two countries who carry out widescale human rights abuses including arbitrary detention, torture, and a widespread crackdown on women.

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Saudi has also been criticised for sports washing and diverting attention from its dire human rights record by hosting high profile sporting events.

It has taken over hosting rights for Formula One races, world champion boxing and bought the Premier League football club Newcastle in a $409 million takeover.

Greece has also been criticised over the past several months for human rights abuses, most noticeably its illegal pushbacks of refugees, leaving them adrift in the ocean, or freezing to death at borders.

In September, the Turkish coastguard said that two babies died after being pushed back into Turkish waters.

This year’s World Cup in Qatar has also been controversial and has come under heavy criticism by human rights groups as workers have lost their lives helping to prepare.

Many workers participated in strikes to protest the fact that employers fail to pay their wages on time, that they have been detained and deported for taking part in protests and speaking out about their rights.