Saudi Arabia sets Q3 deadline for stadiums
29 May 2024

Register for MEED's guest programme
Saudi Arabia’s Sports Ministry is expected to receive bids in the third quarter of this year for the construction of two stadiums as part of the kingdom’s plan to build sports stadiums under its SR10.1bn ($2.7bn) capital projects programme.
The bids for the expansion of Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh are expected by 18 July.
The expansion aims to increase the stadium’s seating capacity to about 45,000 spectators by 2027, when it will host the AFC Asian Cup. The existing capacity is 22,188 seats.
Bids for the King Fahd International Stadium Riyadh expansion are due on 12 August. The expansion seeks to increase the stadium capacity from 68,752 seats to 92,000.
The client issued the request for proposals on 8 April.
Capital projects
In July last year, the ministry invited construction companies to submit prequalification documents for the main construction contracts for the schemes, which are part of the capital projects programme.
The projects, which are set for completion before the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, include:
- Increasing the capacity of King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh to 92,000 seats
- Expanding the seating capacity of Riyadh’s Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium to 45,000
- Increasing the capacity of Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium to 30,000 seats
- An increase in seating capacity for the Prince Saud Bin Jalawi Stadium in Al Khair to 45,000
- The construction of a sustainable New Riyadh Stadium in the north of Riyadh with 45,000 seats
The next main element of the ministry’s projects programme is the construction of 30 new training grounds and facilities in proximity to the stadiums that will be used for the 2027 competition.
Construction on the schemes is expected to start this year and be completed by December 2025. A total of 18 facilities will be ready in time for the 2026 AFC Women’s Cup.
MEED's April 2024 special report on Saudi Arabia includes:
> GVT & ECONOMY: Saudi Arabia seeks diversification amid regional tensions
> BANKING: Saudi lenders gear up for corporate growth
> UPSTREAM: Aramco spending drawdown to jolt oil projects
> DOWNSTREAM: Master Gas System spending stimulates Saudi downstream sector
> POWER: Riyadh to sustain power spending
> WATER: Growth inevitable for the Saudi water sector
> CONSTRUCTION: Saudi gigaprojects propel construction sector
> TRANSPORT: Saudi Arabia’s transport sector offers prospects
Exclusive from Meed
-
Jordan tenders IPP8 power project14 July 2026
-
AtkinsRealis wins key Riyadh infrastructure roles14 July 2026
-
-
Contractors win $213m King Salman airport deal14 July 2026
-
I Squared eyes $2bn deployment across PIF portfolio13 July 2026
All of this is only 1% of what MEED.com has to offer
Subscribe now and unlock all the 153,671 articles on MEED.com
- All the latest news, data, and market intelligence across MENA at your fingerprints
- First-hand updates and inside information on projects, clients and competitors that matter to you
- 20 years' archive of information, data, and news for you to access at your convenience
- Strategize to succeed and minimise risks with timely analysis of current and future market trends
Related Articles
-
Jordan tenders IPP8 power project14 July 2026
Jordan’s National Electric Power Company (Nepco) has issued a tender for a contract to develop the 700MW combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power project known as independent power project 8 (IPP8).
Companies understood to have prequalified include France’s EDF, Saudi Arabia’s Acwa and Egypt’s Orascom Construction. Bids are due in July, although the market expects the closing date may be extended.
MEED reported in November last year that Nepco had invited developers to submit prequalification documents for IPP8. The project will be developed on a build, own and operate (BOO) basis and will supply power to the national grid under a 25-year agreement.
Natural gas will serve as the primary fuel, with light distillate as backup. The facility will be connected to Nepco’s 132kV/400kV transmission infrastructure, which will be built separately.
In April, MEED reported that Nepco had signed an agreement to establish a natural gas supply point for the 700MW IPP7. The agreement was signed with Fajr Jordanian-Egyptian for Natural Gas Transmission and Supply to support fuel provision for the CCGT plant.
The plant will be developed in partnership with Etihad Development Company, a subsidiary of the UAE’s Etihad Water & Electricity (EtihadWE), following recent approval by the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources.
The IPP7 plant is expected to meet about 10% of Jordan’s electricity demand once operational. It is also intended to enhance the reliability and efficiency of the national power system.
The project is scheduled to become operational between 2027 and 2028.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17662814/main.jpg -
AtkinsRealis wins key Riyadh infrastructure roles14 July 2026
Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRealis has been awarded a contract by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) to support the operation and expansion of the Riyadh Metro and oversee the delivery of major road infrastructure projects across the capital.
AtkinsRealis will provide engineering consultancy, project management, construction supervision and technical oversight for ongoing works on the Riyadh Metro.
The agreement was signed during the Saudi Arabia-Canada Investment Forum in Jeddah, held on the sidelines of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to the kingdom.
The company will also supervise a portfolio of strategic road development schemes designed to strengthen Riyadh’s wider transport network.
AtkinsRealis also recently secured a contract to deliver lead design services for the Place & Planet Pavilion at the Expo 2030 Riyadh site.
The contract was awarded by Expo 2030 Riyadh Company, which is tasked with delivering the Expo 2030 Riyadh venue.
AtkinsRealis will deliver the full architectural and engineering design for the pavilion, coordinate all relevant design disciplines and embed sustainable design principles throughout.
The Place & Planet Pavilion is anticipated to be a key attraction at Expo 2030 Riyadh.
READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFStress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AIRPORTS: Dubai and Riyadh reaffirm airport ambitions> INDUSTRY REPORT: Dubai eyes tourism sector recovery> DATA CENTRES: Big Tech falls short on data centre promise> LEADERSHIP: Aramco’s citizen developers accelerate digital changeTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17660065/main.jpg -
Clarifications begin for Saudi Landbridge Riyadh section14 July 2026

Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access
Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has begun post-tender clarifications with bidders for a contract to design and build the Riyadh Rail Link, a new north-to-south railway line across the capital.
MEED understands that the latest round of clarifications with bidders was held last week.
Contractors submitted their commercial proposals on 30 June, as MEED reported.
The bidders include:
- China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation / Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting (China/local)
- Nesma & Partners / China Harbour Engineering Company (local/China)
- Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting / IC Ictas Construction / Saipem (local/Turkiye/Spain)
- Saudi Binladin Group (local)
The scope includes a 35-kilometre double-track line connecting SAR’s North-South Railway to the Eastern Railway network.
Issued on 29 January, the tender also covers the procurement, construction and installation of associated infrastructure, including viaducts, civil works, utility diversions/installations, signalling systems and other related works.
Once delivered, the Riyadh Rail Link is expected to become a key component of the Saudi Landbridge railway.
In January, SAR said it would deliver the Saudi Landbridge project through a “new mechanism” by 2034, after failing to reach an agreement with a Chinese consortium to construct it, as MEED reported.
In an interview with local media, SAR CEO Bashar Bin Khalid Al-Malik said the consortium failed to meet local content requirements, and that the project would instead be delivered in several phases under a different procurement model.
Negotiations have been under way between Saudi Arabia and China-backed investors interested in developing the scheme through a public-private partnership (PPP). Al-Malik put the project cost at about SR100bn ($26.6bn).
Overall, it comprises more than 1,500km of new track. A core element is a 900km railway between Riyadh and Jeddah, providing the capital with direct freight access to King Abdullah Port on the Red Sea.
Other key elements include upgrading the existing Riyadh-Dammam line, a bypass around the capital known as the Riyadh Link, and a connection between King Abdullah Port and Yanbu.
The Saudi Landbridge is one of the kingdom’s most anticipated project programmes. First announced in 2004, it was put on hold in 2010 before being revived a year later. Rights-of-way issues, route alignment and the high cost have been among the main stumbling blocks.
READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFStress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AIRPORTS: Dubai and Riyadh reaffirm airport ambitions> INDUSTRY REPORT: Dubai eyes tourism sector recovery> DATA CENTRES: Big Tech falls short on data centre promise> LEADERSHIP: Aramco’s citizen developers accelerate digital changeTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17659657/main.jpg -
Contractors win $213m King Salman airport deal14 July 2026

Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access
A joint venture of Beijing-headquartered China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and Dammam-based Mofarreh AlHarbi & Partners has won an estimated SR800m ($213m) deal to undertake the enabling and substructure works for Terminal 6 at King Salman International airport (KSIA) in Riyadh.
The contract was awarded by King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC).
In March, MEED exclusively reported that KSIADC had selected three groups for the main construction of Terminal 6.
KSIADC, which is backed by Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund, will initially deliver the Terminal 6 main works on an early contractor involvement basis.
The latest development follows KSIADC’s receipt of prequalification statements from contractors on 1 July for two new packages at KSIA.
These include the construction of a permanent East-West corridor and landside access roads serving the North and South terminals.
In May, KSIADC selected three groups to deliver the Terminal 6 apron, taxiways and other airfield infrastructure at KSIA.
MEED reported in May 2025 that US firm Bechtel Corporation had been appointed as the delivery partner for the terminals at KSIA.
Terminal 6 will boost the airport’s capacity by 40 million passengers.
The project is expected to be delivered before the start of Expo 2030 Riyadh.
READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFStress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AIRPORTS: Dubai and Riyadh reaffirm airport ambitions> INDUSTRY REPORT: Dubai eyes tourism sector recovery> DATA CENTRES: Big Tech falls short on data centre promise> LEADERSHIP: Aramco’s citizen developers accelerate digital changeTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17659431/main.jpg -
I Squared eyes $2bn deployment across PIF portfolio13 July 2026
Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with US infrastructure investor I Squared Capital, under which the firm will pursue the deployment of up to $2bn in real estate and infrastructure assets owned by the sovereign fund and its portfolio companies.
The non-binding agreement, announced on 13 July, will see the two work with PIF portfolio companies to identify opportunities in digital infrastructure and district cooling, which the parties describe as critical enablers of the real estate sector. I Squared will target allocating up to $1bn in each of the two areas, with the option to scale across additional related business themes.
The MoU aligns with PIF's 2026-30 strategic objectives to partner with global investors on opportunities within its portfolio and to maximise the value of its portfolio companies. The collaboration is expected to accelerate project delivery and increase the contribution of third-party capital into opportunities across the portfolio.
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Miami, I Squared Capital manages $60bn in assets across power and utilities, transport and logistics, digital infrastructure, and environmental and social infrastructure. Its portfolio includes more than 100 companies operating in over 70 countries.
READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFStress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AIRPORTS: Dubai and Riyadh reaffirm airport ambitions> INDUSTRY REPORT: Dubai eyes tourism sector recovery> DATA CENTRES: Big Tech falls short on data centre promise> LEADERSHIP: Aramco’s citizen developers accelerate digital changeTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17655682/main2812.png