The head of Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid has said his country welcomes all visitors, including LGBTQ+ people, despite laws criminalising same-sex activity. Hammad Albalawi made the claims in his first broadcast interview, denying accusations of sportswashing from human rights organisations.

“We are on a journey of remarkable transformation,” Albalawi said of his country. “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.”

Rejecting the sportswashing allegations, he continued: “We’re not doing this to make a headline, we’re doing this for our people…This has everything to do with meeting our sporting objectives, welcoming fans and becoming the best versions of ourselves.”

When questioned about LGBTQ+ visitors in particular, Albalawi stated that “everyone from all around the world” is “welcome” and “respected” in Saudi Arabia.

“We respect the privacy of all of our guests,” he added. “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 of our guests.”

Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder for the 2034 World Cup, with FIFA expected to carry out an inspection visit in October before confirming the Gulf state as hosts later this year. This comes after the 2022 edition of the international football tournament was held in Qatar, which sparked widespread backlash because of the country’s human rights issues.

Similar to Qatar, Saudi Arabia criminalises same-sex activity between men and women, punishable by imprisonment, flogging, fines, deportation and even death under Sharia law. Furthermore, LGBTQ+ people have no legal protections from discrimination, and while there is no specific legislation against trans people, arrests and prosecutions for so-called ‘cross-dressing’ do occur.

This reality has caused human rights groups to speak out against major sporting tournaments, like the World Cup, being held in Saudi Arabia.

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport said: “Awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without huge human rights reforms would guarantee that the tournament will be scarred by exploitation, discrimination and repression.

“Without a shadow of doubt, workers will die, activists will be arrested and fans will face discrimination. FIFA has no excuse. It claims to have introduced human rights standards into its World Cup bidding process but knows very well that there have been no real improvements in Saudi Arabia.

“According to its own policies, FIFA should refrain from awarding World Cup hosting rights until binding commitments to improve human rights protections are fully agreed.”

“Awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without huge human rights reforms would guarantee that the tournament will be scarred by exploitation, discrimination & repression” – @amnesty‘s @stevecockburnhttps://t.co/j7lO5FgLLZ

— News From Amnesty (@NewsFromAmnesty) September 24, 2024

UK LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall called for action, stating: “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.

“Major sporting events like the World Cup have the unique power to bring people together, but right now, LGBTQ+ fans will feel unsafe at the prospect of attending the 2034 tournament. We urge FIFA to prioritise safety for everyone, including LGBTQ+ people.”

Sky Sports has contacted FIFA for comment, but there has been no response at the time of writing.