Saudi World Cup chief's response to LGBT+ concerns spark familiar unease after Qatar

The caput of Saudi Arabia's bid to big the 2034 World Cup has insisted LGBT+ fans volition beryllium welcomed successful his country, but the Qatar tourney proves those words should not beryllium taken astatine look value

The caput of Saudi Arabia's bid to big the 2034 World Cup has moved to settee quality rights concerns implicit the country.

But his comments carnivore a striking similarity to those from Qatari chiefs up of the 2022 tournament, which proved to beryllium meaningless. Saudi is the lone bidder for the World Cup owed to instrumentality spot successful 10 years' time.

They are apt to beryllium confirmed arsenic the hosts successful December, contempt the litany of quality rights concerns. The LGBT+ assemblage are 1 of the groups to person a large woody of interest implicit visiting the country.

Same-sex relations are amerciable successful the Middle East state and are punishable by the decease penalty, unlimited situation terms, flogging, fines and forced deportation. Josh Cavallo, the archetypal top-flight footballer to travel out, exclusively revealed to Mirror Football that helium "wouldn't consciousness safe" playing successful a Saudi World Cup.

In the look of those concerns, Hammad Albalawi, caput of the Saudi FA's World Cup 2034 bid unit, has present responded, insisting 'everyone volition beryllium welcomed'. He played down the concerns of LGBT+ radical astir visiting the country.

"We invited each fans. We respect the privateness of each of our guests. We've seen millions of guests travel to Saudi Arabia successful caller years. As I've mentioned, implicit a 100 sporting events with implicit 3 cardinal fans," Albalawi told Sky Sports News.

"They've enjoyed their experiences, they've enjoyed their time. People request to amended themselves astir the Kingdom and the champion mode to bash that is to travel and visit. They volition find hospitable Saudis, radical that volition beryllium precise arrogant to person them.

"It's a tourism assemblage that's ever expanding and expanding and we'd emotion to person each of our guests. I accidental [to LGBT+ people] you volition beryllium respected, you volition beryllium welcomed successful Saudi Arabia and that respect and invited is to everyone, from each astir the world."

These are words we've heard each before.

In the build-up to the 2022 World Cup, determination was mounting interest from LGBT+ radical regarding big state Qatar, which has akin anti-LGBT+ laws to Saudi.

Chief of their transportation committee Hassan al-Thawadi insisted LGBT+ would beryllium harmless and welcomed by the Middle East state. He said successful September 2019: "Everybody is invited successful Qatar. The intent of the tourney is to being radical of antithetic values and beliefs and cultures together."

Those words were rapidly shown to deficiency immoderate backing from information forces though.

Teams were forced to ditch the OneLove armband by FIFA, rainbow flags were confiscated, rainbow bucket hats were confiscated and those wearing rainbow t-shirts were denied introduction to stadiums. This was contempt immoderate of these items having thing to bash with the LGBT+ community.

Once Saudi is officially named arsenic hosts, you tin expect this contented to play a cardinal relation successful discussions astir the tournament. We'll person to hold until the existent World Cup to spot whether Albalawi's words volition beryllium followed by the Saudi state.

But judging from what happened successful Qatar you won't privation to clasp your breath.

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