FIFA has confirmed Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 men’s football World Cup.
CGTN’s Siobhan McCall tells us more about the host country’s increasing influence in sport.
CGTN’s Siobhan McCall tells us more about the host country’s increasing influence in sport.
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00:00Thanks, Jamie. Yes, Saudi Arabia is having a growing influence in sport and hosting the World Cup will be their greatest victory
00:07The Saudi Pro League has attracted some of biggest names in football including Cristiano Ronaldo
00:13Saudi sovereign well-found
00:15Majority owns Premier League Club and Newcastle United and it is a major investor in live golf high-profile events including f1s
00:22Grand Prix's the WTA tennis finals and boxing have also been held in the country recently
00:28Well, it's all part of vision 2030 which aims to diversify the economy away from oil and transform Saudi
00:36Arabia's social economic and global standing Saudis public investment fund is committing
00:42266 billion dollars including on major sporting events like the World Cup
00:48While at the Saudi World Cup, there will be 15 stadiums 11 of which will be new including the showpiece neon stadium
00:54That will be built 350 meters above ground
00:58improvements to transport networks in the building of around
01:02180,000 new hotel rooms are underway under the tourism development of that vision 2030
01:08The bid was unopposed, but it also scored very highly with FIFA
01:13Saudi's proposal was given a 4.2 average the highest ever bid for a World Cup bid
01:19Many human right groups have expressed concern over the country's record
01:23But FIFA marked it medium risk and the head of Saudi's bid says improvements have already been made