The FIFA World Cup remains the world’s most glamorous international football event; it has, therefore, always represented a show window for countries to demonstrate their infrastructure, culture, and devotion to the sport. Saudi Arabia’s hosting bid for the FIFA World Cup 2034 has thrown open questions globally about whether it is feasible and sustainable in such an environment, with extreme heat conditions that mandate cooling systems that consume high amounts of energy.
Extremely Hot Climatic Conditions in Saudi Arabia
The climate in Saudi Arabia, no doubt one of the worst in the world, reaching temperatures of more than 45°C (113°F) in summer, does not help. However, when the World Cup might probably take place in some cooler months, temperatures across the country, at least in certain parts, are not comfortable for both the players and viewers. This would call for the extensive use of cooling technologies in stadiums such that the temperatures within the venue should remain feasible.
High Energy Consumption: The Sustainability Nightmare
The primary means of cooling sports stadiums in the hot parts of the world depend on electricity-guzzling air conditioners. Saudi Arabia will indeed require a very phenomenal electrical energy load if the open stadium or half-open stadium were to be air-conditioned.
Even the advanced designs, by saving maximum electrical energy, could not accommodate all the requirements of cooling millions of fans, millions of athletes, and their supporters throughout the month.
In 2021, the consumption of electricity increased by 4.23% compared to the previous year. In 2021, the residential sector consumed 47% of the total electricity, followed by the industrial sector at 19%, the commercial sector at more than 15%, and the government sector at around 13%.
Impact on the Energy Grid in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia remains heavy on fossil fuels when electricity generation is put into perspective. What makes up more than half of the energy sources is oil and gas in the country. Still, this is not a ground for assuming an all-round transition where renewable forms of energy generation find their inclusions in the state’s grid. Organizing the World Cup is going to require more energy, and the Kingdom demands fossil fuel consumption in cooling its stadiums, fan zones, hotels, and many more facilities.
Carbon Emission from Cooling Systems
Most importantly, air conditioning emits the so-called greenhouse gases, some of which stem from really outdated refrigerating technologies. Still, newer cooling machinery employing low-global-warming-potential refrigerant materials consumes immense quantities of electricity, making their carbon output even more indirect because, if generated through fossil-based energy sources, it will be contributed. Hosting the World Cup in Saudi would go with a super-duperly big carbon footprint for the beautiful game, opposite to what FIFA proclaimed to deliver, namely greener.
Cooling Infrastructure Cost
It is expensive to erect cooling structures within stadiums and to maintain them. Reports show that Qatar shed billions to have climate-controlled venues during the 2022 World Cup. Saudi Arabia will thus want at least to match or better that of their rival Qatar’s infrastructure. That will translate to huge spending on the same technology.
Cooling Open Spaces is an Exercise in Futility
The inefficiency of such open-air or semi-open-air cooling in this stadium is that the cooled air loses much of the cooled air with constant energy inputs, which makes reaching the set temperature impossible. These inefficiencies thus incur financial and environmental costs in terms of an increase in investments.
Although Saudi Arabia could absorb these types of investments, that is the manner money must be spent considering it is high time that, despite its diverse range of activities, sustainability is key in these developments.
About 73% of the population in Saudi Arabia uses air conditioners for extended periods, usually 10 to 24 hours a day, throughout the year. The cooling market in Saudi Arabia was at approximately $2.38 billion in 20217. In the same year, the market volume was forecasted to be 4.39 million tonnes.
Absorptive Capacity Revenues of Strategic Projects
This basis is Saudi Vision 2030; based on this diversification, the economy renewed into better rearing for her citizens. Hosting the World Cup will divert a significant amount of financial and human resources from striving for such long-term objectives towards the effort of undertaking short-term projects that have to do with an event. An illustration of that is the cooling infrastructure. Most likely, cooling will not be utilized often after an event so these resources go into a resource-wasting mode. 4. Ethical and Global Environmental Issues Clash with Global Climate Objectives
High Investments in Green Energy
Saudi Arabia has been making headlines with its bold renewable energy projects in the style of NEOM city and solar initiatives. Hosting the World Cup, however, may defeat such efforts. The resources used to cool stadiums and associated infrastructure can be best used towards expanding the capacity of renewable energy in the Kingdom and reducing the carbon footprint as a whole.
Conclusion: A Need for Sustainable Decision-Making
Hosting the FIFA World Cup is an honor and a huge responsibility. It would be unwise to give this event to Saudi Arabia, with its ambitious but energy-intensive offer, since its extreme climate is not suited for cooling stadiums during the 2034 scheduled tournament.
Its high energy consumption, increased carbon emissions, and burden of maintaining cool infrastructure make important questions arise about whether such an event can be sustainably held in the Kingdom.
FIFA can make sure that the World Cup will be a celebration of football minus the future destruction of the planet by choosing host nations with medium climates and practices that sustain the environment.
