Saudi Arabia has revealed plans to build a massive new stadium that will be the new home of the country's national football team.
It is the latest development to come out of the rising power in football as they attempt to increase their influence on football.
Here is everything you need to know about the brand-new King Salman Stadium, including location, capacity and more.
Plans unveiled for brand-new King Salman Stadium
Where will the new King Salman Stadium be located?
The all-new King Salman Stadium will be located in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the ground will be located on King Salman Road, and given its proposed 92,000 capacity, it will be one of the largest football stadiums in the world.
Who is building the new King Salman Stadium?
Entrusted with the construction process of the King Salman Stadium is the famous global architectural design company, Populous.
The design firm has risen to prominence within the sport in recent years, helping to design and construct an array of spectacular grounds, including:
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- London Stadium
- Grand Stade Hassan II
When will the construction of the King Salman Stadium be complete?
While an official start date for construction on the King Salman Stadium has yet to be released, it is widely believed that the ground will be fully complete and ready to begin hosting football matches by the end of 2029.
However, building a new stadium from scratch rarely comes without complication, and as such, do not be surprised if that date is pushed back until 2030 or perhaps even 2031, depending on what obstacles present themselves in the next five years or so.
What will the King Salman Stadium be like?
Saudi Arabia has revealed the design of the King Salman Stadium in Riyadh, one of the venues lined up to host the 2034 World Cup games. With a capacity of 92,000, the stadium will also feature an indoor sports hall and an Olympic-sized pool pic.twitter.com/lh1SmKByZl
— The National (@TheNationalNews) November 19, 2024
The main focus of the King Salman Stadium will be football; however, the facility will be a multi-purpose venue capable of hosting events in a wide variety of sports.
This has become somewhat of a trend in the modern era of football, as owners become increasingly more savvy regarding creating new ways of generating revenue at clubs.
It has been reported that the stadium will have a capacity of 92,000, which would see the facility become one of the biggest football stadiums in the world.
A huge complex will surround the stadium, and the project also proposes an array of commercial areas and recreational spaces to be developed alongside the ground itself.
Inside the massive 92,000-seater venue will be a wide range of hospitality boxes and lounges, with premium seats making up around 2,500 of the total capacity. This will be broken down into 300 ‘VVIP' seats and 2,200 ‘VIP' seats.
Several other facilities are also included in the proposed King Salman Stadium project, some of which are as follows:
- Training pitches
- Aquatics centre
- Athletics training camp
- Community sports park
The plan for the King Salman Stadium, then, is for the venue to be far more than just a football ground. If Populous are able to bring their vision to life, the stadium will be a hub of sports for everyone and anyone in Riyadh.
2034 FIFA World Cup
However, as alluded to above, football will be the stadium's main focus and the ground has been put forward as one of the potential venues of the 2034 World Cup as part of Saudi Arabia's bid to host the tournament.
Saudi Arabia has long been making strides forward in football, although most of that progress has been thus far. The building of the King Salman Stadium and the adjacent Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup bid is yet another step in the right direction for the country.
