Saudi Arabia has shelved plans indefinitely for a proposed NEOM stadium intended for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, two sources familiar with the matter said. Delays and a scaled-back version of the development around it are reshaping the project. The proposed venue was planned as part of The Line, a vast structure within the kingdom’s NEOM development.
The government hasn’t publicly confirmed that it canceled the stadium. The World Cup 2034 Hosting Higher Authority said substantial construction milestones were already underway, but didn’t answer questions about the NEOM Stadium or its costs.
A project put on hold
The stadium was billed as an elevated arena inside The Line, a planned 100-mile (160-km) steel-and-glass structure. The Line forms part of NEOM, introduced about a decade ago as a centerpiece of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on oil.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of NEOM’s owner, the Public Investment Fund, said in April that The Line was no longer a priority and wasn’t vital before 2030, the original delivery target for its first phase. He denied that any projects had been canceled.
NEOM and the Saudi government media office didn’t reply to requests for comment. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Sports redirected questions to the World Cup 2034 Hosting Higher Authority. The authority shared images of other stadiums under construction, but didn’t address questions about the NEOM venue or its costs.
MEED Projects, a Dubai-based construction industry market intelligence platform, estimates the stadium would cost $2.5 billion. It lists the projected 46,000-seat venue as “on hold” and gives no completion date. Two sources familiar with the matter said officials had shelved plans indefinitely.
World Cup construction costs
Saudi Arabia is working to build or renovate 15 venues across five cities, along with dozens of training facilities. The 2034 tournament will mark the first time a single nation hosts the expanded 48-team format.
MEED Projects puts the total value of the World Cup projects at $22.7 billion, according to data shared with Reuters. The data says the remaining stadiums and facilities are at various stages of development, with completion expected between 2026 and 2033.
The stadiums’ geographic spread adds to the challenge of delivering the projects, a third source said. Delays or downsizing at stadium-hosting projects such as The Line or Riyadh’s New Murabba development could compound that challenge, the source added.
Reuters reported in January that Saudi Arabia had suspended construction of The Mukaab, a colossal cube-shaped skyscraper at the center of New Murabba. Last year, Reuters also reported that the Public Investment Fund was pivoting away from costly giga-projects toward ventures with more immediate financial returns, a strategy Saudi officials later articulated.
Pressure on Saudi finances
Saudi Arabia faces increasing pressure from the Iran war, which has disrupted energy shipments and damaged critical infrastructure. The kingdom also 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. The article doesn’t establish whether those pressures caused officials to shelve the stadium plans.
Other World Cup projects are 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 was going ahead.