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(Bloomberg) — Saudi Arabia is considering a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup along with Egypt and Greece, Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khatib said.
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“We are considering a bid with Greece and Egypt and we want it to be a winning bid,” Al Katib said in an interview in Riyadh. “Definitely the three countries would invest heavily in infrastructure and they would definitely be ready.” And I know that by then Saudi Arabia will have built state-of-the-art stadiums and fan zones.
Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the World Cup would add to the list of sporting events hosted by the world’s biggest oil exporter as it looks to open its economy to tourists and diversify away from reliance on energy sales. It has already secured the 2029 Asian Winter Games, the annual Formula 1 race and several high-profile boxing matches.
Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, attended last week’s World Cup opening ceremony in Qatar alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, days after canceling a trip to major oil buyer Japan. The Times of London reported in September that the kingdom could potentially make a joint bid with Egypt and Greece, according to an unnamed source.
–Courtesy of Sarah Halls.
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