Hold your jaws as Saudi Arabia just revealed designs for the high-tech Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya, and it’s about to drop. The avant-garde project is set to become a 45,000-seat stadium to be used in the 2034 FIFA World Cup. What is truly mind-boggling is that it comes with a retractable roof and a giant LED wall. To top it all, the stadium, literally sitting atop the breathtaking 200m-high Tuwaiq cliff, is in Qiddiya City, just 40 minutes from Riyadh.
Get ready for the ultimate experience at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, a multi-purpose marvel in #QiddiyaCity hosting epic entertainment, sports, and cultural live events ⚽️🎵🎪#PlayLife pic.twitter.com/phIQpr1p2Y
— Qiddiya (@qiddiya_en) January 15, 2024
The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium will not only become a sports icon in the next decade but will also bring a futuristic wave of change in how the world enjoys sports. Managing Director of Qiddiya Investment Company, Abdullah bin Nasser Aldawood, said: “Our ambition is for Qiddiya City to become a global destination for entertainment, sports, and culture, and this iconic new stadium will be at its very heart. The futuristic venue aims to reinvent the traditional stadium concept and embody the true spirit of Qiddiya’s ‘Power of Play’ philosophy. It uses state-of-the-art technology and innovative, world-leading design to put the spectator at the center of the experience. It will become a bucket-list destination for fans and enthusiasts across the world, hosting major events from across the world of sport and entertainment.”
The amazing arena will be designed by the well-known architectural firm Populous, behind Las Vegas’ $2.3 billion MSG Sphere. Coming to the cynosure of attention, the gigantic LED wall, akin to The Sphere, will display live event broadcasts, high-definition films, and laser shows. When not in use, it will open to reveal the natural beauty of Qiddiya. The stadium will be used for sports like football, boxing, esports, and even for entertainment like concerts and theater performances.
The Kingdom already has plans for the world’s first gaming and esports district, touted to be bigger than Vatican City. Like the gigantic Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, the world’s largest esports stadium will also feature a massive indoor LED screen, in addition to game-themed luxury hotels, entertainment, and shopping. The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium is a stone’s throw away from shopping, dining, luxury hotels, and entertainment spaces.
This incredible stadium, when inaugurated, will serve as the home ground of Saudi Pro League football clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr and is the proposed venue for the Kingdom’s 2034 FIFA World Cup bid. The venue will be climate-controlled, with reduced energy consumption through an eco-friendly cooling lake built directly under the stadium. Saudi Arabia expects 7.6 million annual visits to the stadium.
What happened to over-the-top Qatar World Cup stadiums?
To make a lasting impression and compensate for its limited soccer traditions, Qatar invested an astonishing $220 billion over 12 years to host the championships. This included a staggering $6.5 billion spent on seven technologically advanced stadiums. Now, following the 2022 FIFA World Cup, these massive stadiums, with a combined seating capacity of 426,031, sit largely vacant, their capacity exceeding Qatar’s entire native population by nearly 100,000 seats, according to Time. Learning from the outcomes of other venues, such as Cape Town’s 2010 World Cup stadium and Russia’s 2018 World Cup stadium, Qatar’s stadiums will be either dismantled, recycled, or have their capacities reduced by up to half. Some will be downsized, while others will be transformed into residential and shopping destinations. The Al Thumama Stadium will be repurposed as a sports clinic and hotel, and the stunning Al Bayat Stadium is set to become a five-star hotel and shopping center.
Saudi Arabia, no stranger to ambition, plans to host 2034 World Cup –
The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya looks fabulous on paper. However, the key point to note is that it remains a concept. FIFA will indeed be taking a leap of faith if it approves Saudi Arabia’s bid towards the end of 2024. If Neom is selected as a venue, significant work and investment will be required to complete this infrastructural project within a decade. According to The Guardian, Saudi Arabia was announced as the sole bidder for the 2034 competition in October and was subsequently named the provisional host in an Instagram post by Gianni Infantino. There have been reports of Saudi officials seeking support from key figures in European football to host the prestigious tournament at the futuristic Trojena Ski Resort, despite having the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium as a prime candidate for hosting this significant sporting event.
