meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Saudi Arabia prepares for World Cup 2034

23 November 2023

This package also includes:

> World Cup 2034 shows Saudi goals can be achieved
> The frontrunners for the Saudi World Cup 2034 stadiums
> Read the December 2023 edition of MEED Business Review

 

It happened so fast. One month after saying it would bid to host football’s 2034 Fifa World Cup, Saudi Arabia was effectively confirmed as the host after the only other potential bidder for the tournament withdrew from the race. 

Fifa had invited member associations from the Asian Football Confederation and Oceania Football Confederation to bid for the 2034 event by the end of October. 

Saudi Arabia formally announced in early October that the Saudi Arabian Football Federation will lead its bid to host the tournament. Then on 31 October, which was the deadline for submitting bids, Football Australia issued a statement saying that the country will not bid for the 2034 tournament. 

“We have explored the opportunity to bid to host the Fifa World Cup and – having taken all factors into consideration – we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” said the body that governs the sport in Australia.

Bidding process

The official selection of Saudi Arabia as the 2034 host is expected to be confirmed in late 2024.

“The Fifa administration will conduct thorough bidding and evaluation processes for the 2030 and 2034 editions of the Fifa World Cup, with the hosts to be appointed by Fifa Congresses expected to take place by the fourth quarter of 2024,” Fifa said in its statement on 31 October, which confirmed Saudi Arabia as the sole bidder for the 2034 World Cup. 

During the bidding process, “the Fifa administration will conduct a targeted dialogue with bidders, to ensure complete, comprehensive bids are received and evaluated against the minimum hosting requirements as also previously approved by the Fifa Council,” the statement continued. 

“This dialogue will focus on the defined priority areas of the event vision and key metrics, infrastructure, services, commercial and sustainability and human rights.”

The bid must include a minimum of 14 stadiums, of which at least four should be existing structures

Transformative effect

Experience from previous World Cups, including the most recent in Qatar in 2022, has shown how transformative the tournament can be for a country. “There is obviously an event at a particular point in time, but we have learnt not to look at it as an event itself, because there are all these activities that happen before and beyond the event,” says Kourosh Kayvani, partner at consultancy HKA.

“It is really about a programme of change in the country.

“This includes social change, economic change, and all of these things are ultimately achieved through the process of working towards the event, delivering it and then legacy.”

Building infrastructure

The most prominent part of the infrastructure is the stadiums. 

The bid must include a minimum of 14 all-seater stadiums, of which at least four should be existing structures. The capacity must be at least 80,000 seats for the opening and final matches, and for the semi-finals there must be at least 60,000 seats. For all other matches, at least 40,000 seats are needed. 

Saudi Arabia is already upgrading and building stadiums as part of its preparations for hosting the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. In June, the Sports Ministry invited construction firms to submit prequalification documents for contracts to build sports stadiums as part of its SR10.1bn ($2.7bn) capital projects programme. 

The schemes are split into four elements. The largest of these, and the most immediate, is the construction of a new stadium to the north of Riyadh and the upgrade of five existing football stadiums. 

The projects will increase the capacity of the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh to 92,000 seats, expand the seating capacity of Riyadh’s Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium to 45,000, increase the capacity of Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam to 30,000 seats and raise the seating capacity of Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium in Al-Khair to 45,000. New Riyadh Stadium, a sustainable, 45,000-seater venue in the north of Riyadh, will also be constructed.

Other football stadium projects are also progressing. In October, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation awarded an early works contract to the local Al-Osais Contracting for the construction of its new stadium in Dammam. It will have the capacity to accommodate 40,000 spectators. 

The new stadium will be built in the Dammam Sports City area, where the facilities of the Al-Ettifaq Football and Al-Nahda Club teams are based.

Consultants have also been invited by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to bid for a contract to provide project and asset management services for the operation and upgrade of its King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on the outskirts of Jeddah. It is the home ground of football team Al-Ittihad Saudi Club, which won its ninth championship in the 2022-23 season.

The 62,000-seater stadium was built by a joint venture of Belgium’s Six Construct and the local Al-Muhaidib Trading & Contracting. The team was awarded the estimated SR2bn ($533m) contract in 2011. Saudi Aramco developed the stadium on behalf of the government. 

In July 2022, Jeddah Central Development Company signed design and engineering contracts for the stadium at the Jeddah Central project. The design contract was awarded to GMP International and the engineering contract was awarded to Khatib & Alami.

A stadium built 300 metres above the ground between the two buildings that form part of The Line at Neom is also planned and has featured in Neom’s marketing campaigns.

As well as stadiums, Saudi Arabia will also have to invest in supporting infrastructure such as transportation networks and hotels. For the Qatar World Cup, projects including the Doha Metro network and a raft of hotel and resort developments were completed ahead of the tournament. 

“It was the first time that the World Cup was held in one city,” says Alexey Milovanov, who oversaw the construction of eight stadiums in Qatar for the 2022 tournament and, before that, was involved in building stadiums for the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.

Cities across the kingdom will host the Saudi World Cup, which will make it more like the 2014 Brazil World Cup and the 2018 Russia World Cup, which were hosted by countries with large land areas and multiple centres of population. 

“For these World Cups you have to think about how to move people from one city to another, what the accommodation is like in each city, and then there are all the security requirements,” Milovanov says.

Saudi Arabia will also have to invest in supporting infrastructure such as transportation networks and hotels

Football investments

Becoming the sole bidder for the 2034 World Cup is the latest milestone in Saudi Arabia’s concerted strategy to become a leading force in the growing business of global football. Speaking at the Future Investment Forum in Riyadh in October, Fifa president Gianni Infantino described the sport as a $200bn-a-year economy. 

The first clear sign of Riyadh’s football-focused strategy came in October 2021 when a consortium led by the PIF completed the full acquisition of UK football club Newcastle United from St James Holdings. 

The investment group, which also includes PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media, finalised the long-awaited deal after having secured approval from the English Premier League. The deal was estimated to be worth $415m.

Saudi football vision goes global

In November 2022, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud attended the World Cup opening ceremony in Qatar. He sat with and embraced Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani during the event, a move that emphasised the strengthening ties between the two nations. 

A few days later, the Saudi national team stunned the world when it beat event tournament winner Argentina 2-1 during a group stage match.

Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in December 2022. The club reportedly paid over $200m to sign the player. Within days, Al-Nassr’s Instagram account had grown from 800,000 followers to over 6 million.

In June 2023, PIF moved to boost the popularity of the kingdom’s domestic league by investing in four Saudi football clubs – Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal. They were converted into companies, predominantly owned by PIF and complemented by non-profit foundations. 

The move was followed by a summer of intense football transfer activity, which included Brazilian star Neymar signing for Al-Hilal.

Morocco plans six stadium projects for 2030 World Cup

More tournaments

The Middle East has more to cheer about than just a Saudi World Cup. Morocco, as part of a joint bid with Spain and Portugal, has been confirmed as the sole bidder to host the 2030 World Cup. 

Fifa has confirmed that the bid is the sole candidate for 2030, and to celebrate 100 years since the first World Cup in 1930, which was held in Uruguay, three matches of the 2030 tournament will be hosted in South America.

For football fans in the region who cannot wait that long, Saudi Arabia will host the 20th Fifa Club World Cup in December – a tournament contested by the best club teams from each continent.

Main image: Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in December 2022

 

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11322047/main.gif
Colin Foreman

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Rabigh 2 IPP expansion secures $2.58bn financing

    5 October 2026

    Saudi Arabia’s Rabigh 2 combined-cycle gas-turbine (CCGT) independent power project (IPP) expansion has reached financial close.

    In a disclosure to the Saudi Exchange, Acwa said it had secured SR9.69bn ($2.58bn) in long-term financing for the project, which has a generation capacity of 2,313.5MW.

    In April, MEED reported that Acwa and Saudi Energy (formerly Saudi Electricity Company) had signed a 31-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Saudi Arabia’s principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), for the project.

    The project involves developing a CCGT plant in the Mecca region. It is being developed by Al-Morjan Two Electricity Company, with Acwa and Saudi Energy each owning a 40% stake in the project.

    The contract is valued at SR11.5bn ($3.07bn), the companies said in separate stock exchange filings at the time. The carbon-capture-ready power plant will be implemented under a build, own and operate contract.

    The financing has a tenor of about 34 years and was provided by a consortium of local, regional and international lenders.

    The lenders are:

    • Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
    • Alinma Bank
    • Boubyan Bank
    • China Minsheng Banking Corporation, Hong Kong Branch
    • Commercial Bank of Dubai
    • HSBC Bank Middle East
    • Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
    • Industrial Bank, Beijing Branch
    • National Bank of Greece, Cyprus
    • Riyad Bank
    • Saudi Awwal Bank
    • Saudi National Bank
    • Standard Chartered Bank, Taiwan
    • Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, London Branch

    The project scope also includes financing and expanding a 380kV electrical substation.

    According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, construction works have commenced on the project, and a joint venture of Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric and China’s Sinohydro has been working as the main contractor.

    Rabigh 1 extension

    In January, Saudi Energy announced a separate energy conversion agreement with SPPC for the purchase of electricity from the Rabigh 1 power plant expansion.

    The contract is valued at SR5.33bn ($1.42bn).

    It covers the development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of the gas-fired power plant, which will have a generation capacity of 1,179MW.

    A joint venture of Elsewedy Electric and Germany’s Siemens Energy is undertaking the engineering, procurement and construction work for the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

    US/India-based Synergy Consulting is the financial advisory consultant to Saudi Energy on this project.

    Acwa also recently started initial commercial operations at the Taiba 1 and Qassim 1 CCGT power plants, as reported by MEED.

    The plants have a combined generation capacity of about 3.8GW and are two of four projects procured under the first round of Saudi Arabia’s gas-fired IPP programme by SPPC.

    A team of Saudi Energy and Acwa won the contract to develop and operate the projects in 2023.

    MEED’s October 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:

    > COMMENT: Saudi projects hold steady
    > GOVERNMENT: Riyadh looks to reset its regional defence outlook
    > ECONOMY: Conflict bolsters case for Saudi economic diversification
    > BANKING: Saudi lenders readjust to lower lending and deposit climate
    > UPSTREAM: Aramco upstream spending gathers pace
    > DOWNSTREAM: Sabic steps up Saudi petchems investment
    > POWER: Saudi Arabia’s power award activity slows
    > WATER: Saudi water sector hits sharp slowdown
    > CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction defies the headwinds
    > TRANSPORT: Saudi infrastructure pushes forward amid conflict
    > DATABANK: Saudi data indicates project spending shift

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20270643/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Dubai announces $490m e-commerce hub expansion plan

    5 October 2026

    Dubai CommerCity has launched a second expansion phase valued at more than AED1.8bn ($490m), adding over 91,000 square metres (sq m) of office, retail and logistics space across the free zone’s business, social and logistics clusters.

    Dubai CommerCity is a joint venture of Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (Dafza) and Dubai government-owned Wasl Asset Management Group.

    The expansion is scheduled for delivery between the first quarter of 2027 and the fourth quarter of 2028.

    The developer said the move builds on sustained demand at Dubai CommerCity, where occupancy has reached nearly 96% across its office, logistics and retail assets.

    Phase two will comprise a series of developments across Dubai CommerCity’s three districts: the Business Cluster, Logistics Cluster and Social Cluster.

    The Business Cluster comprises 13 office buildings with a total leasable area of 108,000 sq m. The Logistics Cluster consists of 84 logistics units with a leasable area of 68,000 sq m, while the Social Cluster features art galleries, restaurants and cafes. The development will also include 4,000 parking spaces.

    Dafza and Wasl Asset Management Group announced plans to develop the AED2.7bn ($735m) e-commerce free zone In 2017. 

    READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20270228/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Iraq and Turkiye discuss oil and gas deal

    5 October 2026

    Iraq and Turkiye have opened talks in Ankara on a framework agreement for oil, gas and energy cooperation, according to a statement from the Iraqi Oil Ministry.

    Iraq’s Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair Al-Abadi led the Iraqi side, while the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar led the Turkish side.

    Officials discussed a proposed roadmap to deepen work on oil and gas infrastructure, petrochemicals, and trade in oil, gas and power.

    Discussions about a future long-term deal to govern the Iraq-Turkiye Pipeline (ITP) were central to the talks.

    The ITP exports oil from northern Iraq to the port of Ceyhan in Turkiye.

    In July, Turkiye and Iraq signed a temporary agreement to allow crude flows through the ITP for a period of 12 months.

    Before the temporary agreement was signed, the previous deal governing oil exports through the pipeline was due to expire on 27 ​July.

    Speaking last month, Ali Al-Shatri, director general of Iraq’s state organisation for marketing oil (Somo), said the temporary deal was “a prelude” to a much bigger agreement.

    As well as governing pipeline exports, the new agreement is expected to cover electricity, chemicals and gas deals as well as the construction of a new oil refinery in Ceyhan.

    Under current plans, the new refinery will process Iraqi crude in order to produce refined products that can be exported to Europe.

    Bayraktar said: “Following the crude oil transportation agreement signed between our national company … we are clarifying our roadmap for a new, longer-term and more comprehensive agreement.

    “In this regard, we plan to activate our joint working groups to rapidly finalise oil and natural gas infrastructure, exploration and production, oil trading, refining-petrochemical and electricity projects.

    “In close cooperation with the new Iraqi Government, we will strongly continue to implement these concrete projects for the stability and prosperity of our shared geography.”

    Bayraktar said it was important to consider extending the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline to reach Basra in southern Iraq.

    He also said it was important to consider expanding the capacity of the ITP to create a strong alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.

    The Strait of Hormuz is a key oil export route that has been disrupted by a regional war since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.

    Bayraktar also said that he wanted state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) to expand its footprint in Iraq.

    He said: “We aim for our national company TPAO to play an active role not only in the Kirkuk fields but also in different fields in Iraq, to ​​reach the target of supplying one million barrels of crude oil as stated by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali ez-Zeydi; and to transform Ceyhan into a global energy hub by increasing trade volume.”

    Bayraktar said that Turkiye wanted energy to be a key part of the plan for a north-south trade corridor from the Grand Faw Port to the Turkish border.

    Under current plans, the corridor will combine a new railway and highway system.

    Bayraktar said that Turkiye also wants the route to include oil and gas pipelines as well as electricity transmission lines.

    READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20268590/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • RTCC/Ictas wins $214m King Salman airport private aviation terminal

    5 October 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Arabia’s King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC) has awarded an estimated SR800m ($214m) construction contract to build the private aviation terminal.

    The contract was awarded to a joint venture of Riyadh-based Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting (RTCC) and Turkiye’s IC Ictas.

    The scope includes constructing a central courtyard, grand boulevard, parking facilities, access-control checkpoints, logistics and ground-support facilities, internal road networks and landscaping.

    It also includes all civil, structural, architectural, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) works, along with testing, commissioning and handover activities.

    KSIADC is making rapid progress on its overall project masterplan. In July, it reported major progress on landside and airside infrastructure works linked to its third runway and private aviation facilities, as part of the wider airport expansion programme.

    Project scale

    The project covers an area of about 57 square kilometres (sq km), allowing for six parallel runways, and will include the existing terminals at King Khalid International airport. It will also include 12 sq km of airport support facilities, residential and recreational facilities, retail outlets and other logistics real estate.

    The airport aims to accommodate up to 100 million passengers by 2030. The cargo target is to process 2 million tonnes a year by 2030.

    Saudi Arabia plans to invest significantly in its aviation sector. Riyadh’s Saudi Aviation Strategy, announced by Gaca, aims to triple Saudi Arabia’s annual passenger traffic to 330 million travellers by 2030.

    It also aims to increase air cargo traffic to 4.5 million tonnes and raise the country’s total air connections to more than 250 destinations.

    MEED’s October 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:

    > COMMENT: Saudi projects hold steady
    > GOVERNMENT: Riyadh looks to reset its regional defence outlook
    > ECONOMY: Conflict bolsters case for Saudi economic diversification
    > BANKING: Saudi lenders readjust to lower lending and deposit climate
    > UPSTREAM: Aramco upstream spending gathers pace
    > DOWNSTREAM: Sabic steps up Saudi petchems investment
    > POWER: Saudi Arabia’s power award activity slows
    > WATER: Saudi water sector hits sharp slowdown
    > CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction defies the headwinds
    > TRANSPORT: Saudi infrastructure pushes forward amid conflict
    > DATABANK: Saudi data indicates project spending shift

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20268414/main.jpeg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Contractors submit bids for Libya refinery

    5 October 2026

     

    Bids have been submitted for the main contract for Libya’s planned South Refinery project and are currently under technical evaluation, according to industry sources.

    The project, located in Ubari in southern Libya, has gained momentum over the past year, and the main contract is anticipated to be worth more than $600m.

    The main contract is expected to use the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model.

    The EPC work is expected to take 50 months, and the facility will be designed to process 30,000 barrels a day (b/d) of crude oil.

    In March, US-based engineering company KBR was awarded a contract by Zallaf Exploration, Production & Refining of Oil & Gas Company to provide project management and technical services for the project.

    Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide contract management, project management and supporting technical services throughout the project’s EPC phases.

    The refinery is expected to produce:

    • Propane and butane for domestic and industrial uses
    • Gasoline
    • Kerosene
    • Diesel
    • Fuel oil

    In March, KBR said that the project was aligned with its “long-standing commitment to advancing vital oil and gas infrastructure in Libya”.

    Libya currently operates five main refineries with a combined nameplate capacity of 380,000 b/d, but actual throughput is closer to 180,000 b/d due to poor maintenance and damage from military clashes.

    In addition to the South Refinery project, Libya also plans to upgrade the Zawiya refinery and carry out projects at the Serir, Brega, Tobruk and Ras Lanuf refineries.

    READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20267178/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp