Saudi Arabia has indefinitely shelved plans for the NEOM Stadium, a proposed 46,000-seat venue for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, two sources familiar with the matter said. Delays and a scaled-back version of the futuristic development meant to house it have put the stadium on hold, while the government’s World Cup authority says construction milestones are already being delivered.
The project and the price tag
Planners billed the stadium as an elevated arena inside The Line, a planned 100-mile (160-km) steel-and-glass structure within the wider NEOM development. NEOM launched as a centerpiece of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on oil. MEED Projects, a Dubai-based construction industry market intelligence platform, puts the stadium’s projected cost at $2.5 billion. Its project data lists the venue as “on hold” and gives no completion date.
The Public Investment Fund owns NEOM. In April, its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, said The Line was no longer a priority and wasn't vital before 2030, the original target for delivery of its first phase. He denied that any projects had been canceled. Sources now describe the stadium as shelved indefinitely. That leaves it between a formal cancellation and a project without a stated finish date.
NEOM and the Saudi government media office didn't reply to requests for comment. The Ministry of Sports redirected questions to the World Cup 2034 Hosting Higher Authority. The authority said “substantial delivery” of construction milestones was already underway, but didn't address questions about the NEOM Stadium or its costs. Instead, it shared images of other stadiums under construction.
A tournament built through contracts
Riyadh is working to build or renovate 15 venues across five cities, alongside dozens of training facilities. The 2034 tournament will be the first time a single nation hosts the expanded 48-team format. MEED Projects puts the total value of the projects at $22.7 billion. Its data says the remaining stadiums and facilities are at various stages of development, with completion expected between 2026 and 2033.
A third source said the stadiums’ geographic spread adds to the delivery challenge. Delays or downsizing of projects meant to host stadiums, including The Line or Riyadh's New Murabba development, could make matters worse. Reuters reported in January that Saudi Arabia had suspended construction of The Mukaab, a colossal cube-shaped skyscraper at the center of New Murabba.
The Public Investment Fund has been pivoting from costly giga-projects toward ventures with more immediate financial returns, a strategy Saudi officials later articulated. That shift puts the stadium plans alongside a wider retreat from expensive developments, even as the state prepares a vast construction program for the tournament.
The other pressure on the buildout
Saudi Arabia also faces pressure from the Iran war, which has disrupted energy shipments and damaged critical infrastructure. The kingdom faces attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis. Last week, the Saudi Finance Ministry said it expected a fiscal deficit this year wider than previously projected and a real GDP contraction of 3.6% following a drop in oil activities.
Some stadium projects are still moving ahead. The Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar, in the eastern city, is set to be completed by the end of this year and host its first game in January, with tickets on sale. A fourth source said work on other planned stadiums is going ahead. The figures and timelines show a state-led buildout still moving across multiple sites, even as its headline NEOM venue has no completion date and the authority declines to answer questions about its cost.