July 29 – Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans to build a 92,000-capacity stadium in Riyadh to stage major sporting events with a decision on its 2034 World Cup bid due this year.
On Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the Saudi Sports Ministry had released designs for the King Salman Stadium, a venue that would serve as the national stadium for Saudi Arabia and be integrated into a larger sports complex, including an indoor sports hall, an Olympic-sized pool and other facilities.
The design is said to meet FIFA requirements and standards of sustainability and architectural excellence.
The capacity of the venue suggests that the stadium could serve as the ground for the 2034 World Cup final in Saudi Arabia. Lusail Stadium, which staged the last World Cup final in 2022, holds a capacity of 88,000.
FIFA is set to award the tournament to the Arab kingdom at an extraordinary congress in the last quarter of this year. No other nation is bidding for the 2034 World Cup after Zurich gave members of the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation less than a month to express interest.
SPA reports that the proposed King Salman Stadium would be built in the vicinity of Riyad’s international airport and that the venue plans include sustainable cooling. Qatar, the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, had cooling technology at its stadiums, even, if after changes to the international match calendar, the tournament was ultimately staged during the Gulf nation’s mild winter.
In January, Saudi Arabia revealed plans for the Mohammed bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya, a city just 40 minutes from Riyadh. Neom has also been touted as a venue for the 2034 World Cup.
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