Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 World Cup faces new uncertainty as regional conflicts threaten the safety of major sporting events. The Arabian Gulf Cup in Jeddah, attended by 60,000 fans, underscored these risks as Saudi Arabia resumed airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels just a day before the tournament began. The ceasefire had ended following a Houthi attack on an oil facility near Jeddah’s Formula One track in 2019.
The tournament proceeded as scheduled, but concerns grew after a Houthi air strike on Riyadh’s international airport killed three people, including a Saudia Airlines captain. The attack highlighted the fragility of hosting large-scale events in a region plagued by escalating tensions.
While the Arabian Gulf Cup concluded without incident, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges ahead for Saudi Arabia’s plans to host the World Cup in a little over a decade. The collision of sports and geopolitics raises questions about the feasibility and security of such high-profile events in an unstable environment.