As Saudi Arabia gears up to host the FIFA World Cup 2034, the King Salman Stadium emerges as central to the global football event, hosting both the opening match and the final. Earlier this year, the Kingdom announced ambitious plans to construct the King Salman Stadium by 2029 in Riyadh. The mega sports arena will boast a seating capacity of 92,000 and span an impressive area exceeding 660,000 square meters.
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City and the sports ministry have announced the designs and plans for the King Salman Stadium and its sporting facilities as one of the largest sports arenas globally. The stadium will serve as the main venue for the Saudi national team and host major sporting events and activities, including the FIFA World Cup 2034.
State-of-the-art sports facilities
Situated in northern Riyadh along King Salman Road, the stadium is near vital city sites such as King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh Metro Station and major roadways, ensuring easy access from all parts of the city.
King Salman Stadium and its sporting facilities will include several amenities for various sports activities, including commercial centers and recreational areas accessible to all age groups throughout the day. In addition, the main stadium will have a seating capacity of 92,000, including a royal box with 150 seats, 120 hospitality suites, 300 VIP seats, and 2,200 seats for dignitaries.
9-kilometre-long sports track
The plan for the King Salman Stadium also includes multiple surrounding sports facilities spanning over 360,000 square meters, including two training fields, fan zones, a closed sports hall, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, an athletics track, and outdoor courts for volleyball, basketball and padel tennis.
These facilities cater to all age groups and link seamlessly together with a 9-kilometre-long sports track surrounding King Abdulaziz Park.
Ensuring sustainable standards
Set for completion in the fourth quarter of 2029, the King Salman Stadium’s design and its facilities were selected from several submissions by six international companies. In addition, the designs meet FIFA’s requirements and uphold standards of sustainability and architectural excellence.
The final design integrates seamlessly with King Abdulaziz Park through a valley that intersects the surrounding green spaces. In addition, its architecture includes green walls and roofs spanning over 96,500 square meters to meet environmental sustainability and green building standards.
The stadium will also include sustainable cooling systems for both the audience seats and the playing field, extended indoor screens for spectators, indoor gardens, and a walking track with a view of King Abdulaziz Park.
The King Salman Stadium, an architectural landmark, will be ready to host major local and international entertainment events, enhancing the quality of life in Riyadh and raising the city’s global ranking as one of the most livable cities in the world.
15 stadiums to host 2034 World Cup tournaments
Global football governing body FIFA on Wednesday confirmed that the 2034 World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia. This means the World Cup will return to the GCC region after Qatar held a successful World Cup in 2022. Meanwhile, Morocco, Spain and Portugal will jointly host the 2030 tournament.
According to the bid document for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, the tournament will be held in 15 stadiums across five cities — Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, Al Khobar and NEOM — with the opening and the final match played at King Salman Stadium in Riyadh.
“The Kingdom’s bid to host the tournament is integrated in its wide-reaching Vision 2030 project to transform the nation and its society as a whole. Accordingly, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, the government and all stakeholders have committed to ensuring that the tournament would deliver lasting benefits in terms of football, infrastructure and society,” the document said.
8 new stadium
Of the 15 stadiums, eight are planned new-builds, including the King Salman Stadium. Another three stadiums are currently under construction and will host the AFC Asian Cup in 2027.
The bid also includes stadium projects integrated into unique locations, including the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, located within the Qiddiya development, and NEOM Stadium, located within THE LINE development. Moreover, there are stadiums such as New Murabba Stadium and ROSHN Stadium, whose extended roof structures and footprints blend into the surrounding neighborhoods.
Saudi Arabia’s sports investments
In recent years, Saudi Arabia’s investment in sports has been significant, marked by high-profile acquisitions by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) of clubs like Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli, along with Saudi Aramco’s acquisition of Al Qadisiyah Club and Diriyah Gate Development Authority’s acquisition of Diriyah Club.
These investments align with Vision 2030’s broader goal of economic diversification, aiming to make sports clubs financially independent and increase the sector’s contribution to the Kingdom’s GDP from $640 million in 2016 to $4.8 billion by 2030.
These efforts also align with plans for state-of-the-art stadiums such as the King Salman Stadium and major events like the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and the 2034 FIFA World Cup, promising a bright future for Saudi sports.
Saudi Arabia is also investing in base camp hotels for teams participating in the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The Kingdom’s bid has proposed a comprehensive set of accommodation options, comprising 72 team base camp hotels, two referee base camp hotels and 60 venue-specific hotels. All hotels are paired with a training site. In total, the bid contains 134 team and referee facility pairings.
