Riyadh prepares Qiddiya National Athletics Stadium tender

9 December 2025

 

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Saudi gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) is expected to float a tender soon for the construction of the estimated SR7bn ($1.8bn) National Athletics Stadium at its Qiddiya entertainment city development.

MEED understands that the prequalification process has reached an advanced stage and the tender for the main contract is likely to be issued within a few weeks.

The multipurpose stadium will cover an area of approximately 182,000 square metres and its design is inspired by the London Olympic Stadium.

In September, MEED exclusively reported that QIC had begun the procurement process for the kingdom’s next major sporting destination, having received expressions of interest from contractors for the project.

UK-based HOK is the project’s lead design consultant. It is supported by Canadian engineering firm WSP and Germany’s Schlaich Bergermann Partner.

UK-headquartered WT Partnership is serving as the project’s cost consultant.

The stadium will be located within the Qiddiya Sports Park cluster and is expected to be completed by 2030.

In December 2020, Saudi Arabia was selected to host the 2034 Asian Games. The 22nd edition of the event will be held in Riyadh from 29 November to 14 December 2034.

Saudi Arabia is also set to host the Asian Winter Games in 2029. In October 2022, the Trojena development at Neom, in the northwest of the country, was selected to host the ninth edition of the event.

The National Athletics Stadium is one of several major projects within the wider Qiddiya development. Others include an e-games arena, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a performing arts centre, a motorsports track, Dragon Ball and Six Flags theme parks and Aquarabia waterpark.

The project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom. According to UK analytics firm GlobalData, leisure tourism in Saudi Arabia has experienced significant growth in recent years.

Domestic leisure tourism trips increased to 33.76 million in 2023, up from 16.74 million in 2018. International tourist arrivals for recreational purposes increased by 600% from 2018 to 2023.

Image: Buro Happold

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Yasir Iqbal
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