Saudi Arabia scales back plans for proposed 2034 World Cup stadium

Saudi Arabia is stepping back from plans to build one of its most ambitious stadiums for the 2034 World Cup after delays and a reduction in the scale of the development intended to house it, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The proposed NEOM Stadium was designed as a suspended venue within The Line, a glass-and-steel development planned to stretch 160 kilometres. The Line forms part of the wider NEOM project, which was launched about 10 years ago as a central element of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 programme.

The stadium had been expected to cost $2.5bn and hold approximately 46,000 spectators, according to data supplied by construction information provider MEED Projects to Reuters.

However, there is currently no confirmed completion date for the venue. The sources said the project had been affected by delays and a scaling back of the wider development around it.

Saudi Arabia is preparing extensively for the 2034 tournament, which is a major part of its investment programme through the Public Investment Fund under Vision 2030. The World Cup will be the first 48-team edition to be staged in a single country.

The country plans to build or renovate 15 stadiums across five cities, alongside dozens of training facilities. MEED Projects estimates the combined value of those developments at $22.7bn.

The other stadiums and associated facilities are at varying stages of development and are expected to be completed between 2026 and 2033. A third source told Reuters that the geographical spread of the venues was making delivery more difficult.

That source added that the challenges could increase if some of the developments originally intended to accommodate stadiums are delayed or reduced in size. Those projects include The Line and New Murabba in Riyadh.

Reuters previously reported that the Public Investment Fund was shifting its focus away from expensive megaprojects towards investments capable of producing financial returns more quickly. Saudi officials later confirmed that strategy.

Work is continuing on other stadium projects, according to a fourth source who spoke to Reuters.

Aramco Stadium, in Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. It is due to host its first match in January, with tickets for the fixture already on sale.