Saudi Arabia is backing away from plans to build one of its most ambitious stadiums for the 2034 World Cup, two sources with knowledge of the matter told "Reuters" on Sunday. Delays and a reduction in the scale of the future project housing the stadium are behind the move.
Neom Stadium was conceived as a venue suspended within "The Line", a glass and steel project stretching 160 kilometres in length and forming part of the broader development known as Neom.
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Launched around ten years ago, the Neom project sits at the heart of Vision 2030, the blueprint set out by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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.
It will be the first World Cup in the expanded 48-team format to be held in a single country. The Kingdom is building or renovating 15 stadiums across 5 cities, alongside dozens of training facilities.
Difficulties of implementation
The "MEED Projects" platform put the total value of these projects at around 22.7 billion dollars, according to data sent to "Reuters". That data suggests the suspended Neom Stadium was expected to cost 2.5 billion dollars, with an anticipated capacity close to 46 thousand spectators.
No completion date has been set for the stadium, the data shows. The rest of the stadiums and facilities sit at varying stages of development, with completion expected between 2026 and 2033.
A third source explained that the geographical spread of the stadiums makes the projects harder to deliver. The picture could grow more complicated still, the source noted, with some projects set to house stadiums now facing postponement or reduction, such as "The Line" and "The New Murabba" in Riyadh.
"Reuters" had earlier reported that the Saudi Public Investment Fund is shifting its focus from costly mega-projects towards investments with faster financial returns. Saudi officials later confirmed the strategy.
The Aramco Stadium, in the city of Khobar in the Eastern Province, tells a different story. Due for completion by the end of this year, it will host its first match next January, with ticket sales already under way. A fourth source confirmed to "Reuters" that work on other planned stadiums is moving ahead.