Saudi sports minister promises to host ‘most exciting World Cup ever’

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Sport, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal, has said that the Kingdom is determined to deliver “the most exciting World Cup ever hosted” when it stages football’s biggest tournament in 2034.

Speaking on a panel at the inaugural TOURISE tourism conference in Riyadh, Prince Abdulaziz said the Kingdom’s transformation through sport, tourism, and wider economic diversification was no overnight project. Instead, he described it as part of a coordinated national effort designed to elevate Saudi Arabia’s global profile while improving opportunities for its people.

“We work as one entity – whether to grow sport, to grow tourism, to grow different fields of the economy and job creation,” he said.

“The message we got from His Royal Highness [Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] is to have the most exciting and memorable World Cup ever hosted, and that’s the challenge we have to achieve,” he said.

But hosting the tournament is not simply about spectacle – with Prince Abdulaziz insisting that the priority is to deliver tangible benefits for Saudi citizens and the Kingdom’s economy.

“If you look at the number of tourists who come to such events, the economy gets ignited by hosting such events. It’s tremendous… We are not hosting these events just to host them – but to leave a legacy that will impact society and create a better future for the Kingdom.”

When Vision 2030 was first launched a decade ago, only 13 percent of Saudis were physically active for half an hour or more each week. The target was 40 percent by 2030 – a figure already surpassed. Prince Abdulaziz stressed that Saudi Arabia’s growing profile in world sport over the past few years has been grounded in a desire to improve participation at community level.

“This year, the numbers have shown that we’ve reached 59 percent,” he said. “Not just of half an hour or more but of 150 minutes per week of activity. That’s the reason for hosting such events – putting programs on the ground.”

Saudi Arabia now has 97 sports federations, up from 30 less than a decade ago – something Prince Abdulaziz credits to consistent policy and investment rather than short bursts of attention from global events.

“It has been an encouraging and inspiring transformation but we still have a lot to achieve to get to where we want to be,” he added.

Learning ahead for 2034

Eight years out from the FIFA World Cup being hosted in the Kingdom, Prince Abdulaziz confirmed there will be a major Saudi delegation heading to the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada on an important fact-finding mission.

“We’ll definitely be looking at what they’re doing and making sure we learn from them, because it’s going to be the first 48-team World Cup,” Prince Abdulaziz said.

“It will be a big challenge for us also, hosting in one nation, but I think with what we have showcased in the past – we can host such an event and make sure that we deliver on the expectation.

“We set our own standards and we work day and night to make sure we achieve these goals.”

The 2034 FIFA World Cup will be staged across five cities, with some estimates suggesting that attendances could total five million over the course of the tournament.

Sport has become a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s tourism strategy and Prince Abdulaziz recognizes the crucial role it has as many visitors’ first entry point into Saudi Arabia. He added that coordination between the Ministry of Sport and the Ministry of Tourism ensures that visitors experience the full breadth of the Kingdom.

“When you’re coming to an event, you also want to see what’s going on around it,” he said. “We have seen that many guests and fans who come to events later visit AlUla, the Red Sea or Asir in the south,” he said.

“The beauty of Saudi Arabia is that you can go from sea to desert to mountains to valleys, and enjoy everything the country offers.

“I think our biggest asset is the people… and this is something we should be very proud of as Saudis. A lot of people come from around the world attracted by the event but they leave feeling touched by the warmth of the Saudi people.”