President congratulates Saudi Arabia on World Cup bid win

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has congratulated Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and the country's citizens on their successful bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), President Muizzu said that "this milestone achievement is a testament to Saudi Arabia's growing global influence and unwavering determination, commitment and exemplary leadership in the global arena." He further said that it is a proud moment not only for the Kingdom, but to the entire Arab world and the broader Islamic community.

The opportunity to host the 2034 World Cup was granted to Saudi Arabia during an extraordinary congress of FIFA held on Wednesday via video conference.

The 2034 World Cup hosting was allocated for an Asian and Oceanic country. Saudi Arabia had already unofficially won the bid after Australia withdrew its bid.

The oil-rich nation will become the third Arab country to host the World Cup. The first Arab country was Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup, while Morocco is set to host the World Cup in 2030.

The World Cup in Saudi Arabia could reportedly be postponed to January because November/December coincides with Ramadan. Although the event is normally held in June/July, it is also the hottest season in Saudi Arabia. Qatar's World Cup was also held in November/December for the same reason.

According to the Saudi bid book, the tournament will be held in five cities. They are the capital Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha, and Neom. The tournament will be held in 15 stadiums, of which 11 will be newly built. The opening and final matches are expected to be played at the King Salman Stadium in Riyadh.