Meed | Morocco plans six stadium projects for 2030 World Cup

Morocco plans six stadium projects for 2030 World Cup

26 June 2023

Morocco plans to build a 93,000-seater stadium in Casablanca and upgrade at least five other existing stadiums as part of its plans to jointly host football’s Fifa World Cup 2030 with Spain and Portugal.

The estimated MD2bn ($200m) stadium planned for Casablanca will be built on the outskirts of the city. It will be developed with the involvement of the Ministry of National Education, Preschool & Sports, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and the local municipalities.

Stadium renovations

Five stadiums will be upgraded for the event. In Rabat, the Prince Moulay Abdallah stadium will be upgraded to accommodate 64,140 spectators. In Tangier, the Ibn Battuta stadium will be upgraded to seat 65,000 spectators, while in Fez, the capacity will be expanded to 35,455 seats.

In Agadir, the stadium’s capacity will be raised to 41,144 seats, and in Marrakesh there will be 41,245 seats.

A stadium in Tetouan may also be upgraded to accommodate 46,000 spectators.

In March, King Mohammed VI announced Morocco’s plans to join Spain and Portugal’s bid to host the 2030 World Cup.

Saudi Arabia is also eyeing the 2030 World Cup. Riyadh is reportedly planning a tripartite bid to host football’s Fifa World Cup in 2030, along with Egypt and Greece.

The prospect of the Middle East hosting the World Cup in 2030 follows Qatar hosting the 2022 edition of the tournament last year.

Hosting a World Cup requires a significant investment in infrastructure. According to regional projects tracker MEED Projects, Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy spent $5.3bn on contracts for facilities directly related to the tournament.

Other infrastructure projects were also completed ahead of the event, such as the first lines of the Doha Metro.

Read more: Stadiums can be contractor busters

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Colin Foreman