July 31 – Saudi Arabia’s Roshn Group on Tuesday unveiled plans for the construction of a 45,000-seater stadium in Riyadh. Earlier this week, the Arab Kingdom submitted its bid book for the 2034 World Cup.
Roshn, is a major real estate group in Saudi Arabia, backed by the country’s Public Investment Fund, and the title sponsor of the Saudi Premier League.
Khalid Johar, acting CEO of Roshn Group, said: “Roshn Stadium embodies Roshn’s strategic transformation as a multi-asset class developer.
“We are proud to undertake this ambitious project, which will contribute to improving the quality of life and supporting economic growth in line with Saudi Vision 2030, while providing a unique gathering place in Riyadh and enhancing the Kingdom’s attractiveness to host international events and sporting competition.”
The official statement did not refer to FIFA standards, but the capacity of the proposed stadium suggests that the stadium could be used for the 2034 World Cup which FIFA is set to award to Saudi Arabia in the last quarter of this year.
There is no other bidding nation for the 2034 finals after FIFA allowed other member associations in Asia and Oceania less than 30 days to express their interest in bidding.
Earlier this week, details of a 92-000 seater venue in the Saudi capital were revealed. FIFA will publish the bid book after the official July 31 deadline.
A Saudi delegation, together with the 2030 World Cup hosts, handed the bid book over to FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Paris, on the sidelines of the Olympic Games.
An IOC member, Infantino wrote on Instagram: “This represents a key milestone in the bidding processes, as we look to who will stage the next celebrations of football and humanity.
“The seven bidding countries, from four confederations, have already given a lot to football. These are countries with great passion for the game, great organisational skills, and a shared vision of what football and its values should be. Equally, these bidding processes prove that football unites the world.”
Saudi Arabia is, according to multiple human rights organisations, one of the most repressive regimes in the world. The country applies the kafala system, which ties migrant workers to employers and formed the basis of Qatar’s labour market in the run-up to the first World Cup in the Middle East. Qatar and FIFA were heavily criticised for their treatment of migrant workers building World Cup infrastructure and providing services in the host country.
In a separate Instagram post, Infantino wrote: “Saudi Arabia is a very important partner for FIFA and is playing an important role in football development. They staged an outstanding and successful FIFA Club World Cup 2023 and have taken great steps to grow women’s football, which I saw first-hand while attending a Saudi Women’s Premier League game between Al Ahli and Al Ittihad last December.”
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