World Aquatics unveiled its interim office in Budapest this week as the organization begins its process of relocating headquarters to the Hungarian city.
World Aquatics’ President Husain Al-Musallam and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijártó oversaw the grand opening of the new facility, which is expected to house 25 new staff members during the transitional period.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were a number of elite athletes, including Olympic swimmers Chad le Clos and Pernille Blume and World Aquatics Championships water polo medallist Felipe Perrone.
With aims to complete the transitional process in time for the 2027 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, the change in location has been in the works for a little over a year. The organization’s member federations voted to move the headquarters from Lausanne, Switzerland, to the Hungarian capital during the World Aquatics General Congress 2023.
Located on Alkotmány Street, the interim office will feature a state-of-the-art content studio to better connect athletes to fans and the broader global aquatics community to elevate World Aquatics’ digital presence.
During the ceremony, Al-Musallam commended the significance of this first step in relocating the organization’s headquarters to a city with a rich history in aquatic sports.
“It is a huge honour to be here with Minister Szijjártó and our elite athletes to make this important step for our organisation and global community,” he said. “Budapest has proven itself to be an outstanding host of our events and our athletes, and we are delighted to be making notable progress on a move which will help to enhance the profile and further the development of our aquatics sports. The facilities at our new interim office are excellent, and today’s opening is an important chapter in World Aquatics’ history.”
Budapest boasts premier competition and training facilities such as the Duna Arena and the Alfred Hajos National Swimming Stadium. Hungary has also proved adept at hosting several high-level aquatics events, including the 2017 and 2022 World Aquatics Championships.
The city will play host to the World Aquatics Swimming World Championships (SCM) in December before they are scheduled to return again in 2027.
The total cost of the move is unclear, but the organization is reportedly projecting to save around $300 million over a 30-year period by residing in Budapest.
While the permanent location of the new World Aquatics headquarters has not been confirmed, it is expected to be in the 13th district near Duna Arena.
World Aquatics has been situated in Lausanne since 1986 and its relationship with the city will continue despite the relocation.
At the General Congress in 2023, members approved the establishment of a World Aquatics Foundation to be based in Lausanne, and the city is also set to become the home of the Aquatics Integrity Unit, which offers independent oversight of integrity matters in aquatics.
That is such a dodgy country! Who got paid off ??