Saudi Arabia's bit to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup receives fresh development

Saudi Arabia had provided an interest in bringing the Rugby World Cup to the Middle East in a joint bid with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

It would have been a first for the sport to host the World Cup in this part of the world, which is not particularly known for its rugby, with none of the three ever taking part in the competition.

However, these plans have now been abandoned following a report from the Guardian which has suggested that the World Cup bid from Saudi Arabia was not going forward as a result of the Public Investment Fund’s new financial strategy.

The deadline for submitting a formal bid through the official World Rugby process for the 2035 tournament is not until October 2026, so Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries still have time to reconsider, but there is no expectation they will do so.

Saudi Arabia’s decision to put its rugby aspirations on hold is a part of what PIF described as the “value realization” phase of its Vision 2030 economic plan published this week.

The Webb Ellis Cup during a media opportunity as World Rugby announce the host cities for Men's Rugby World Cup Australia 2027 at The Theatre Bar on January 30, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Getty Images)

LIV Golf is to be the highest-profile casualty of PIF’s insistence on prioritising projects that can produce a return, with the rebel tour’s funding to be withdrawn next year.

There will be a focus on domestic projects as the nation looks to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, and then they will continue to improve infrastructure for the Formula One track near Riyadh, which is due to open next year.

While it appears that Saudi Arabia will not be taking part in looking to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup, that does not mean it will not end up in the Middle East.

Qatar’s interest in rugby is more advanced, and it has agreed to a deal to stage the second final series of the new Nations Championship in 2028, so it would not be strange if they were to aim to bring the tournament to win the Webb Ellis trophy to the nation, as they have all the infrastructure in place in the country after hosting major events in athletics and most notably with the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

If they were to host the competition, they may face competition from the likes of Argentina, Japan and Spain, who have submitted interest to host the World Cup in 2035.