Fear and football in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's crackdown on 12 football fans underscores the risks associated with the kingdom hosting the 2034 World Cup. It is also a reflection of the kingdom’s fear of its youth.
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If I close my eyes, I can still recall the memory as though it happened yesterday: the roar of 90,000 strong at Cairo Stadium; the presence of Ronaldinho, Deco, and Lionel Messi on the pitch; the police officer beating a teenage fan senseless with a baton; the sound of the boy’s screams and the dull thud of the weapon breaking bones; the melee that ensued; the chants of “fuck the government”; the palpable tension of pre-revolution Egypt.
It was April 24, 2007—the night when European champions Barcelona met reigning African champion Al Ahly SC in a friendly match as part of the beloved Egyptian club’s 100th birthday celebrations.
I was just 15 years old at the time. A wide-eyed teenager taking in his first football match after moving back to Cairo at the start of the academic year. I was sitting next to my cousin and his friends, all of whom were newly minted members of the Ultras Ahlawy—the hardcore football fan group that had quickly emerged as an enemy of the state.
During that period, the Ultras Ahlawy gained renown for their chants directed at the Egyptian regime and its corrupt police force. It was one of the few modes of free expression available to young Egyptian men at the time—a generation devoid of prospects, aspirations, or even hope. As football fans, we were empowered by our voices, even though it constantly made us the target of government repression.
Police officers frequently intervened in the stands to intimidate the teenagers and make arrests. Sometimes, they wanted to set an example, which is how I came to witness one of the Ultras—a lanky teenager with curly black hair like my own—being forcibly removed from the stands and subjected to a beating that remains etched in my memory to this day.
What I would come to understand was that the Egyptian government was afraid of us—afraid of a group of football fans that was growing in confidence and numbers.
Turns out, they were right to fear us.
During the 2011 Egyptian uprising, the Ultras transformed from a non-political youth group into a band of revolutionaries who played a pivotal role in toppling Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year reign as Egypt’s president.
The football fans who helped topple Egypt’s regime
The Ultras Ahlawy emerged as a warning for dictators throughout the Arab region, serving as a testament to the influence of sports as a force for democratization, and highlighting the potential of youth-driven grassroots movements within authoritarian structures.
And though the Arab Spring did not succeed, it served as a cautionary tale for autocrats throughout the Middle East and North Africa. This was recently made clear in Saudi Arabia’s jailing of a group of young football fans for their perceived actions during a match.
On January 24, during a football match between Al Safa Club and Al Bukiryah Club in the country’s Eastern Province, where Saudi Arabia’s Shia Muslim minority is concentrated, a group of Al Safa football fans were filmed peacefully singing a Shia religious song celebrating the birth of Imam Ali, a cousin of the Prophet Mohammed and an important figure for Shia Muslims.
Police summoned more than 150 fans for questioning and detained 12 members of the Al Safa football club pending trial.
Earlier this week, the 12 fans detained for the religious chants appeared in criminal court for charges under the kingdom’s notorious Anti- Cybercrime Law. The charges include “sending material prejudicial to public order by means of the internet and electronic devices”; “prejudicing public order by kindling a spirit of sectarian fanaticism by passing on sectarian content in public gathering places”; “disturbing national unity”; and “coordinating this action in advance”.
The Saudi Criminal Court in Dammam sentenced two fans to one year in prison with a fine of 10,000 Saudi Riyals (about US$2,666) and the others to a year in prison, with six months suspended, and fines of 5,000 Saudi Riyals (about $1,333).
Saudi officials also took action against Al Safa FC. On Feb. 3, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Sport announced in a press release published solely on the Arabic portion of its website that it had dissolved the board of directors of Al Safa FC for failing to adhere to the laws and regulations in force in the kingdom. The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Federation followed up by announcing sanctions against the club, including a fine of 200,000 riyals ($53,300) and a ban on Al Safa fans attending the next five league matches.
In its findings, the disciplinary committee revealed that “Al-Safa Club fans chanted phrases and chants that violated the provisions of the disciplinary and ethics regulations.”
As Saudi Arabia intensifies its sports initiatives, its decision to target football fans raises a troubling parallel given that the kingdom has seduced some of the world’s top players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, to join the Saudi Pro League with extraordinary deals that could be worth more than $1 billion in wages, spent $25 million to secure Lionel Messi as a tourism pitchman, and is poised to host of the 2034 World Cup.
“Jailing football fans for chants at a match is just one more reason that FIFA’s rigging of the 2034 World Cup bidding process to allow Saudi Arabia to be the sole bidder is not just embarrassing, but dangerous,” Joey Shea, Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in the organization’s press release. “How can football fans feel safe in Saudi Arabia if they can be so easily sentenced to prison for nothing more than chants the government doesn’t like?”
Beyond the safety concerns, Saudi Arabia’s targeting of football fans is a reflection of the kingdom’s evident fear of its youth. The jailed supporters of Al Safa FC were Shia Muslims, a religious minority has been relegated to second-class citizens, with Saudi authorities limiting their ability to practice their religion. They were also young men—a demographic that continues to terrify Arab autocrats.
This is partially why sports are such a pivotal component of MBS’s overall aspirations. Apart from serving as a platform for soft power, reputation laundering and nation branding, it also serves as a sophisticated strategy aimed at pacifying Saudi Arabia's youth, reminiscent of Rome's well-known tactic of "bread and circuses".
Whether this strategy works in the long term remains to be seem, especially in the wake of Israel’s five-month war on Gaza. Last week, the Financial Times reported that Saudi officials “fear that the brutal images emerging from the shattered territory will radicalize their young population.”
As public anger continues to ripple through the kingdom, one thing remains clear: Saudi officials will undoubtedly escalate their crackdown on perceived dissent. This truth is especially poignant for the youth of Saudi Arabia. Like many of us who came before them in Egypt, they are awakening to the reality that the authorities fear their collective strength—and they are right to do so.
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Excellent essay! Love the Ultras story
Important, enlightening, frightful—well done Karim!