
<p>Saudi Arabia is on the sponsorship board for the upcoming <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-world-cup-tv-schedule/">Women’s World Cup</a> in Australia and New Zealand. The country’s tourism board, Visit Saudi, is a sponsor for the tournament, says David Ornstein of <em><a href="https://theathletic.com/4135097/2023/01/30/ornstein-porro-spurs-chelsea-world-cup-fernandez/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Athletic</a>.</em></p>



<p>Note that this is not tied to FIFA’s official sponsors. Those sponsors, such as Coca-Cola or Adidas are long-term sponsors. </p>



<p>Instead, FIFA is changing its commercial strategy for this tournament. FIFA is looking to capitalize on the growing interest in the women’s game by introducing official supporters of the tournament. Thirteen months ago, FIFA unveiled VISA as an official sponsor. Then, just this past month, Australia’s Commonwealth Bank became an official supporter.</p>



<p>Effectively, it is a way to get more eyes on sponsors, and more money for FIFA.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨 Visit Saudi to be unveiled as sponsor of 2023 Women’s World Cup. Brands other than FIFA’s long-term partners (Coca-Cola, adidas etc) offered chance to endorse event &amp; Gulf nation’s tourist board will have its name to 1st 32-team <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWWC</a><a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthleticFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthleticFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/0Hz6KEuAhN">https://t.co/0Hz6KEuAhN</a></p>— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/David_Ornstein/status/1620112161065541632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>However, there are major concerns on the human rights record of Saudi Arabia, particularly in the women’s game.</p>



<h2>Saudi Arabia sponsorship of Women’s World Cup raises questions</h2>



<p>Looking back to the men’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/most-watched-world-cup-2022-games-on-us-tv-and-streaming-20221208-WST-411671.html">World Cup in 2022</a>, Qatar was the main sponsor of FOX’s World Cup coverage, spending millions. In doing so, FOX Sports effectively ran an infomercial for Qatar during the World Cup, neglecting to report on any controversies or of the lack of freedoms in Qatar.</p>



<p>Meanwhile, fellow Middle East neighbor Saudi Arabia continues to align with the sponsorship and monetary side of FIFA, it grows increasingly more likely that the Middle Eastern country could host a major soccer event.</p>



<p>For example, Saudi Arabia, Greece and Egypt are in the running to host the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/saudi-arabia-could-host-world-cup-2030-says-expert-20221130-WST-410612.html">2030 World Cup</a>. It would be just eight years after the controversy surrounding Qatar’s acquisition of the 2022 World Cup. </p>



<p>In terms of its human rights record, Amnesty International says it is “appalling.” <a href="https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/2023-fifa-womens-world-cup-saudi-arabia-tourism-sponsorship/?zephr_sso_ott=hp520x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amnesty added</a> that the attempts to sportswash the human rights record is both “breath-taking and yet entirely predictable.”</p>



<p>Saudi Arabia only started letting women attend soccer games in 2018. Then, two years later, it launched its first women’s professional soccer league. The nation procrastinated until just this month to host its first four-team competition to get an official women’s ranking from FIFA. </p>



<h5>FOX coverage</h5>



<p>It should be interesting to see how FOX handles Visit Saudi as a sponsor for the 2023 World Cup. It proudly embraced Qatar and the commercials throughout the competition. In fact, it seemed every other commercial break had the “let the world play” advert. </p>



<p>Granted, Saudi Arabia is not the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/what-times-are-the-womens-world-cup-games-played-20230118-WST-413603.html">host of this tournament</a>. However, its unveiling as an official sponsor could be foreboding for a number of reasons.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Kolvenbach</em></p>


Saudi Arabia is now an official sponsor of the upcoming Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, raising a number of questions.

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Saudi Arabia to sponsor Women's World Cup raises questions