After shelving ambitious Sky Stadium, PIF prepare to axe four more projects for 2034 World Cup

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is preparing to abandon plans for five proposed stadiums for the 2034 World Cup as the kingdom reassesses its spending commitments.

The reported cuts would leave Saudi Arabia planning to use ten venues for the tournament, with several ambitious developments facing an uncertain future.

PIF to drop five new stadium projects for 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia

PIF is expected to inform tournament organisers that it intends to drop five proposed stadium projects, according to a report from Semafor.

The revised plans are still being developed and could change before submission to FIFA.

The venues facing the axe are in King Abdullah Economic City and Qiddiya Coast near Jeddah, alongside Roshn, New Murabba and NEOM in the Riyadh and north-west regions.

Several of the stadiums were tied to wider developments that have been paused or slowed. The NEOM project was particularly ambitious, with plans for a stadium on the roof of The Line, a proposed 500-metre-tall skyscraper.

However, work on the wider development has effectively ground to a halt, with no funding allocated for the stadium until after at least 2030.

Qiddiya Coast's proposed 45,000-seat stadium is also under threat after the wider entertainment and tourism development was put on hold. Meanwhile, work has slowed in Riyadh's New Murabba district, where another 45,000-capacity venue had been proposed.

Despite the changes, Saudi Arabia is continuing with other major projects, including the King Salman International Stadium and Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium in Riyadh, alongside a new venue in Dhahran being developed by Saudi Aramco.

The revised plans could leave the kingdom building six new stadiums and refurbishing four existing grounds for the 2034 World Cup.

Four proposed tournament venues are also due to host matches at the 2027 Asian Cup, which begins in January.

FGG says: Saudi's World Cup stadium plans face a reality check

The reported cuts suggest Saudi Arabia is becoming more selective about which projects it can realistically deliver.

Stadiums attached to developments that have stalled were always going to face questions over their viability, particularly with the 2034 World Cup still several years away.

A ten-venue tournament would still require substantial investment, but prioritising projects that can be completed and used beyond the competition may prove more sensible than pursuing every ambitious proposal.