The Tweede Kamer urges members of the Cabinet not to travel to World Cup in Saudi Arabia

The Cabinet should not send a delegate to the World Cup in Saudi Arabia if the country does not show "significant improvement" in human rights and working conditions. The Tweede Kamer requests this in a motion by Wieke Paulusma (D66), supported by a majority. The Tweede Kamer thinks the situation in Saudi Arabia is "unacceptable at this moment for organizing a large sporting tournament."

With the news that Australia is pulling out as a potential host of the 2034 World Cup, it is more or less confirmed that Saudi Arabia will organize the tournament. FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed as much in a message on Instagram in October.

Outgoing sports minister Conny Helder sought European support to adjust the admission procedure. "There are many countries that find this a strange thing," she said in Brussels after a meeting with fellow ministers.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited Saudi Arabia this week. He spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, about the "broad cooperation." According to American intelligence services, the Crown Prince is responsible for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 in the Saudi embassy in Istanbul.

Helder came into controversy in 2022 when she went to the World Cup in Qatar. The Tweede Kamer had called on the Cabinet to stay away due to the human rights situation in the country. The government also felt at the time that the human rights situation "needs improvement," it wrote in response to the motion, but nevertheless opted for "cooperation with Qatar with a view to sustainable improvement."

Helder appeared with a small OneLove badge in Qatar to stand up for lHBTIQ rights, which was partly covered by a scarf with "never mind" written in capital letters.