Clifford Chance is under fire from human rights groups over its assessment of Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid, prompting talk of legal action against the international football body FIFA.
Amnesty International and 10 other NGOs have written to Clifford Chance to ask why its report on Saudi Arabia excluded an assessment of recognized rights, omitted UN materials, and lacked input from “credible external stakeholders”. They also sought clarification on the firm’s ties to the Saudi government.
Separately, the organisations asked FIFA for a comprehensive human rights assessment. The international football association is to review Clifford Chance’s report ahead of a December 11 meeting to consider Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid.
James Lynch, founding co-director of the FairSquare non-profit group and a signatory to the letter, said FIFA’s process appears designed to award Saudi Arabia the World Cup, with Clifford Chance’s assessment aligning with that goal.
“We want to spark a broader conversation about law firms working on projects linked to states with poor human rights records, like Saudi Arabia, and emphasize the importance of taking these responsibilities seriously,” Lynch said.
The other signatories to the letter were: Human Rights Watch; ALQST for Human Rights; The Army of Survivors; Building and Woodworkers International; Equidem; Football Supporters Europe; Gulf Centre for Human Rights; Middle East Democracy Center; and Migrant-Rights.org.
A FIFA spokesperson told Law.com International that the association is implementing “thorough bidding processes” for the 2034 World Cup and other events. Neither Clifford Chance nor the Saudi Embassy in London responded to requests for comment. Clifford Chance earlier said it would be inappropriate to comment beyond the content in its published report.
Saudi’s World Cup Bid
This is not the first time a World Cup bidder has faced criticism. Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022 both faced significant scrutiny for issues including discrimination against LGBT people and treatment of migrant workers, respectively.
FIFA has banned several countries from participating, including South Africa in 1961 due to apartheid and Russia in 2022 after it invaded Ukraine. However, it has never revoked hosting rights once a country has won its bid.
The criticism levied against Saudi Arabia started in August when Amnesty International raised concerns about a report from AS&H Clifford Chance, a joint venture with Abuhimed Alsheikh Alhagbani Law Firm, examining human rights and labour issues tied to Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid.
In October, 11 human rights organisations said they’d sent a letter to Clifford Chance’s global managing partner, Charles Adams, and AS&H Clifford Chance.
The organisations allege that the assessment focuses only on select human rights issues and excludes others under an agreement between FIFA and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation—a decision that may have shielded Saudi Arabia’s bid from negative scrutiny.
They further claim that the assessment selectively used findings from the UN and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) committees on human rights risks in Saudi Arabia, omitting critical issues, and that no evidence shows the firm consulted credible external stakeholders or initiated independent research.
“I find it scandalous that FIFA agreed to limit the scope of the assessment, going against its own policies, while Clifford Chance implemented that and ran with it. I believe FIFA must answer for that as well,” Stephen Cockburn, Amnesty International’s head of labour rights and sport, said.
Saudi Diversification
The assessment by AS&H Clifford Chance plays a critical role in Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup, as it is required by FIFA’s human rights legal framework for countries bidding to host the World Cup from 2026 onward.
As Riyadh works to diversify its economy beyond oil by investing in tourism, technology, and other sectors, hosting events like the World Cup would enhance the country’s global profile.
However, in their published statement, the NGOs accused Saudi Arabia of having a “dire” human rights record under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including “a soaring number of mass executions, torture, enforced disappearance, severe restrictions on free expression, repression of women’s rights under the male guardianship system”. They also accuse the country of LGBTI+ discrimination in addition to the killing of hundreds of migrants at the Saudi-Yemen border.
‘It is Really Unacceptable’
In their memorandum, the rights organisations claim that “as a signatory to the UN Global Compact, Clifford Chance has committed to support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights,” and that through its assessment, “there is a risk that Clifford Chance could be linked to potential adverse human rights impacts resulting from the hosting and staging of the 2034 World Cup.”
Mustafa Qadri, founder and CEO of human and labour rights organisation Equidem, said it was unacceptable that Clifford Chance is working with a “regime” accused of atrocities and human rights abuses.
“People won’t forget that and it is really unacceptable,” he said.
Qadri said the NGOs are keeping all of their legal options open. Another source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they are considering legal action targeting FIFA, however Amnesty International’s Cockburn denied it was under discussion.
Building and Woodworkers’ International, a global union, filed two formal complaints with the ILO in June for “severe human rights abuses and wage theft” affecting at least 21,000 construction workers, primarily due to two now-bankrupt Saudi companies.