Barcelona have warned fans that they should be “prudent and discreet” if they travel to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup this week in an unprecedented briefing that also insists supporters “strictly respect the country’s customs and ways”.
The decision by the Spanish champions to post a lengthy series of recommendations “for foreigners in Saudi Arabia” has been criticised by Human Rights Watch as being both insufficient to protect supporters and indicative of the lack of a “human rights framework” for operating in Saudi, the sole bidder to host the Fifa men’s World Cup in 2034.
In a post on the Barcelona website, the club issued a number of directions for any fan hoping to travel to the Gulf state, with Barça playing Osasuna in their Super Cup semi-final in Riyadh on Thursday night.
“FC Barcelona and the Real Federación Española de Futbol, under instruction of the Spanish embassy in Riyadh, have prepared a series of safety recommendations for travelling supporters,” the page reads, before listing guidance which includes not just an adherence to local customs but remaining “especially cautious” when travelling outside major cities and avoiding both “large gatherings of people” and “any activities that the government considers to be breaches of social peace and public order”.
LGBTQ+ fans, meanwhile, were warned of “severe penalties” should they even post about their experience on social media. “People are advised to be respectful and prudent when it comes to public demonstrations of affection,” the briefing reads.
“Indecent behaviour, including any action of a sexual nature, can lead to severe legal consequence for foreigners. Same-sex relations can also be subjected to severe penalties, as well as open displays of support for LGBTI causes, even on social media.”
Minky Worden, the director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said the briefing showed the challenges of operating in Saudi Arabia, as much by what it missed out as what it included. “I see a gap in information for women fans,” she said. “Perhaps it’s assuming they don’t exist or that they have the same needs as male fans, which is just incorrect. The Saudi guardianship system presents risks to women which are not at all considered. Equally there is no mention as to the risks in terms of information security.
“This briefing serves as a reminder that there is currently no human rights framework for fans, players, journalists or anyone else travelling to Saudi Arabia for a sporting event. This is the main problem and what is required is due diligence to establish the risks people might face.”
Saudi Arabia has banned human rights organisations from working in the country, making it almost impossible for a full assessment of risks to be conducted. At the same time it continues to ramp up its investment in sporting events – from the World Cup to the Asian Winter Games of 2029 – in an attempt to drive greater foreign tourism to the country.
“You can’t meet with anyone in Saudi Arabia to do due diligence,” Worden said. “You have no ability to do basic human rights assessments because there’s no one to meet with, they’re all in jail. At the same time, you don’t carry out your responsibilities just by saying: ‘If you’re going to be a fan don’t be gay.’ And, by the way, the same goes for heterosexual fans: you can’t kiss if you win.”
