Saudi Arabia pulls back from one of the most prominent projects of the 2034 World Cup
Work on other planned stadiums is moving forward
Two sources familiar with the matter told the agency "Reuters", this Sunday, that Saudi Arabia is pulling back from plans to build one of its most ambitious stadiums for the 2034 World Cup. Delays and a scaling down of the futuristic project housing the stadium lie behind the retreat.
Picture a stadium suspended within "The Line", a glass and steel development stretching 160 kilometres as part of the wider Neom scheme. That is the Neom Stadium.
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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the Neom project around ten years ago as a cornerstone of his Vision 2030.
The 2034 World Cup matters enormously to Saudi Arabia, which has poured vast investment into sport through the Public Investment Fund as part of Vision 2030.
This will be the first World Cup under its expanded 48-team format to be held in a single country. The Kingdom is working to build or renovate 15 stadiums across 5 cities, alongside dozens of training facilities.
Implementation difficulties
The "MEED Projects" platform put the total value of these projects at around 22.7 billion dollars in data sent to "Reuters". Its figures suggest the suspended Neom Stadium had been expected to cost 2.5 billion dollars, with a capacity close to 46,000 spectators.
No fixed date exists for the stadium's completion, according to the data, which shows the rest of the stadiums and facilities at varying stages of development. Completion is expected between 2026 and 2033.
A third source explained that the geographical spread of the stadiums adds to the difficulty of delivering the projects. Matters could become even more complicated, the source pointed out, if some developments due to house stadiums are postponed or scaled down, such as "The Line" and "New Murabba" in Riyadh.
"Reuters" had previously reported that the Saudi Public Investment Fund is shifting its focus from costly mega-projects towards investments with faster financial returns, a strategy Saudi officials later confirmed.
The Aramco Stadium in the city of Khobar, in the Eastern Province, tells a different story. It is due for completion by the end of this year, set to host its first match next January, and ticket sales have already begun. A fourth source confirmed to "Reuters" that work on other planned stadiums is moving ahead.
