2034 FIFA World Cup: A Close Look at Saudi's Bid for the Largest-Ever Single-Country Tournament

Under the title "Growing Together," Saudi Arabia’s FIFA World Cup bid book outlines the details of the largest sports construction and stadium building projects in the world. A significant number of these stadiums will have a capacity of over 40,000 seats, in line with FIFA requirements.

In Riyadh, the King Salman Stadium, which will host the opening and final matches of the FIFA World Cup, is designed to accommodate 92,000 seats, nearly double the typical World Cup stadium capacity.

This builds on a track record of investments in the sports sector, which is part of the country’s overarching economic transformation strategy. In line with Vision 2030, this plan is supported by a government commitment of over SR1 trillion ($266 billion) for the next decade and the upcoming global tournament.

The official bid unveiled last week during a FIFA ceremony in Paris sets the tone for a new era of industrial expansion and transformation. This perfectly goes in sync with the nation’s long-standing passion for football and its ambition to become a global economic powerhouse.