In the Gulf, football is less pastime than civic obsession — and this summer it is spilling into the workday. Every World Cup match airs overnight, so the cost lands the next morning. Companies around the region are giving employees flexible hours after their respective national teams play. In Saudi Arabia, some financial institutions and ministries allowed staff a noon start after the Green Falcons’ opening match against Uruguay; when Saudi Arabia beat Argentina at the 2022 tournament, the king declared a national holiday. In Tehran, Qatari mediators brokering an end to the US-Iran war paused their discussions to watch a match, the Financial Times reported.
So far, the squads have rewarded the late nights: Saudi Arabia held two-time champions Uruguay to a draw, and Qatar also drew their opener against Switzerland. Qatar next take on co-hosts Canada, while the Saudis face Spain on Sunday. For Saudi Arabia — a kingdom that has made sport an economic pillar and is gearing up to host the 2034 World Cup — a few groggy mornings are easily absorbed.