Meed | Top 15 Saudi stadium projects

Top 15 Saudi stadium projects

30 August 2024

Saudi Arabia formally kicked off its World Cup participation process in October last year after announcing that it planned to bid to host the event. The announcement was a culmination of Riyadh’s football-focused strategy launched two years before when a consortium led by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth vehicle, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), completed the full acquisition of UK football club Newcastle United from St James Holdings in 2021.

The move was further solidified when Saudi Arabia was effectively confirmed as the host after Australia, the only other bidder for the tournament, withdrew from the race in October last year.

This was followed by Saudi Arabia’s official bid campaign reveal and the submission of its bid to Fifa to host the World Cup 2034 event in July. The official selection of Saudi Arabia as the 2034 host is expected to be confirmed on 11 December.

Saudi Arabia will likely invest hundreds of billions of dollars in developing the required infrastructure to host the event. Experience from previous World Cups, including the most recent one in Qatar, has shown that hosting the tournament can transform a country’s economy.

The tournament brings in fans from around the world to enjoy a month-long festival of football. After the 2022 tournament, Qatar issued a statement saying that more than 1.4 million fans had visited the country during the event.

The decision to host the Fifa World Cup 2034 is a pivotal moment for Saudi Arabia as it validates much of the social and economic change that the kingdom has embarked upon since Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman launched Vision 2030 back in 2016.

Building stadiums is the most prominent part of the bid to host the coveted Fifa World Cup.

According to the official bid book document submitted by Saudi Arabia in July, it will construct 11 new stadiums as part of its bid to host the Fifa World Cup 2034.

Eight out of the 15 stadiums are located in the capital, Riyadh, four in Jeddah and one each in Al-Khobar, Abha and Neom.

The event requires 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.

The kingdom has recently ramped up its announcements regarding building new stadiums across the country in preparation to host the event.

1. King Salman Stadium

The King Salman Stadium will be the showpiece venue for the tournament. The US-based architectural firm Populous-designed stadium will cover an area of about 660,000 square metres (sq m) and have a seating capacity of over 92,000 spectators.

The stadium will host the opening and final games of the Fifa World Cup 2034 tournament. The construction of the stadium is expected to be completed by 2029.

Location: Riyadh
Companies involved: Populous
Match category: Opening and final games

2. King Fahad Sports City Stadium

The King Fahad Sports City Stadium is expected to be the venue for the semi-final. The stadium will be refurbished to increase its seating capacity from its current 58,000 seats to 70,200 seats.

The main contract bid submission process is ongoing and the project’s expansion works are expected to begin early next year. The stadium will also be a venue for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.

Location: Riyadh
Companies involved: Populous
Match category: Semi-final

3. Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, Qiddiya City

The Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium will be built on top of a 200-metre-high Tuwaiq cliff located in the new sports and entertainment district of Qiddiya City.

The stadium will have a capacity to accommodate 46,979 spectators and will feature a fully combined retractable pitch, roof and LED wall. The construction works are expected to begin later this year.

Location: Riyadh
Companies involved: Qiddiya Investment Company, Populous
Match category: Third-place playoff

4. New Murabba Stadium

The New Murabba Stadium will have the capacity to accommodate 46,010 spectators and will be built as part of the New Murabba downtown project in Riyadh.

The construction of the stadium is expected to be completed by 2032.

Location: Riyadh
Companies involved: New Murabba Development Company
Match category: Round of 32

5. Roshn Stadium

The Roshn stadium will be built in the southwest of Riyadh. The planned facility will have the capacity to accommodate 46,000 spectators and will span an area of over 450,000 sq m.

Location: Riyadh
Companies involved: Roshn
Match category: Round of 32

6. Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Sports City Stadium

The Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Stadium is earmarked for an expansion that aims to increase its seating capacity from its current 22,188 seats to 46,865 seats.

The facility will also host the AFC Asian Cup in 2027.

The refurbishment works will change the geometry of the seating bowl from an athletics stadium to a football stadium.

Location: Riyadh
Companies involved: Populous
Match category: Round of 32

Saudi World Cup bid bucks global trend for sporting events

7. South Riyadh Stadium

The Populous-designed stadium will be located in southwest Riyadh close to the Wadi Namar. The stadium will have the capacity to host 47,060 spectators. It is expected to be ready by 2032.

Location: Riyadh
Companies involved: Populous
Match category: Round of 32

8. King Saud University Stadium

The King Saud University Stadium, located on the university’s campus in the west of Riyadh, is one of the venues that will undergo expansion and refurbishment to host the event.

The expansion will increase the stadium’s capacity to 46,319 spectators and the construction works are expected to be completed by 2032.

Location: Riyadh
Companies involved: Populous
Match category: Round of 32

9. King Abdullah Sports City Stadium

The King Abdullah Sports City Stadium is the home ground for the Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli football clubs. The venue will undergo expansion works that will increase its seating capacity to 58,432 people. The stadium will host the quarter-final games.

Location: Jeddah
Companies involved: Arup
Match category: Quarter-final

10. Qiddiya Coast Stadium, Jeddah

The Populous-designed stadium will be situated at the heart of the Qiddiya Coast development in Jeddah. The multi-purpose stadium will have a 46,096 seating capacity and will be one of the venues for the round of 16 matches.

Location: Jeddah
Companies involved: Populous
Match category: Round of 16

11. Jeddah Central Stadium, Jeddah

The already under-construction football stadium is part of the Jeddah Central Project in Jeddah and has a seating capacity of 45,794 spectators. The stadium is expected to be completed by 2027.

Location: Jeddah
Companies involved: Jeddah Central Development Company, Khatib & Alami, Gerkan Marg & Partner, China Railway Construction Corporation, Sama Construction for Trading & Contracting, Geoharbour
Match category: Round of 32

12. King Abdullah Economic City Stadium, Jeddah

The planned stadium will have a seating capacity of 45,700 and will be built in the King Abdullah Economic City on the Red Sea Coast, north of Jeddah.

Location: Jeddah
Companies involved: Populous
Match category: Round of 32

13. Aramco Stadium

The Aramco Stadium in Al-Khobar is under construction and is expected to be completed by 2026. The stadium will have a capacity of 46,096 seats.

Location: Al-Khobar
Companies involved: Saudi Aramco, Roshn, Foster + Partners, Populous, Besix, Albawani, Al-Osais International Holding
Match category: Round of 16

14. King Khalid University Stadium

The stadium will undergo expansion works that will see its capacity raised to 45,428 seats. The facility is expected to be ready by 2032.

Location: Abha
Companies involved: Populous
Match category: Round of 16

15. Neom Stadium

The 46,010-seat stadium in Neom is “designed to stand out among the world’s most iconic landmarks”, according to the bid book. It is planned to be built 350 metres above ground level within The Line project at Neom.

The stadium is expected to be ready by 2032.

Location: Neom
Companies involved: Neom
Match category: Quarter-final

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/12432451/main.gif

Yasir Iqbal

Exclusive from Meed

Local firm executing Yasref tail gas treatment project
14 April 2026
Kuwait sets April deadline for $718m drainage tender
14 April 2026
Local firm makes hydrocarbon discovery in Oman’s Block 7
14 April 2026
Bidders get more time for Saudi water transmission projects
14 April 2026
Saudi firm wins $64.2m steel pipe orders from Aramco
14 April 2026

Local firm executing Yasref tail gas treatment project
14 April 2026
Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company (Yasref) is overseeing progress on a key project to build a tail gas treatment unit (TGTU) at its crude refinery complex, located in Yanbu on the west coast of Saudi Arabia.

Yasref is a joint venture in which Saudi Aramco owns the majority 62.5% stake and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) owns the other 37.5%. The Yasref refinery was commissioned in 2015 and has a crude oil refining capacity of 400,000 barrels a day (b/d).

The aim of the project, which Yasref calls the tail gas synergy project, is to significantly reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) from its production complex. The 'synergy' comes from integrating primary treatment (such as the Claus process, which typically recovers about 95-97% of sulphur) with advanced secondary treatment in a TGTU, to achieve overall sulphur recovery of nearly 99.9%.

Yasref awarded the main contract for the tail gas synergy project to Jeddah-based contractor Carlo Gavazzi Arabia earlier this year, according to information obtained by MEED Projects, with the contract estimated at $80m.

The local branch of London-headquartered Berkeley Engineering Consultants is acting as the project’s main consultant, according to MEED Projects.

The scope of work on Yasref’s tail gas synergy project includes the following:
- Construction of downstream TGTU with catalytic hydrogenation reactor and amine absorber train
- Modification of existing sulphur recovery units
- Construction of acid gas removal units employing amine solvent systems
- Construction of desulphurisation units including carbonyl sulphide hydrolysis
- Construction of associated utilities and auxiliary infrastructure: thermal exchangers, power and steam supplies, flare knockout drums
- Installation of safety and security systems hydrogen sulphide detection, overpressure relief, firewater deluge, access control, safety instrumented systems
- Integration of emission monitoring and process control instrumentation.
In April last year, Aramco, Sinopec and Yasref signed a venture framework agreement for a potential petrochemicals expansion of the Yasref refinery complex into a major integrated petrochemicals facility. The project would include a large-scale mixed-feed steam cracker with a capacity of 1.8 million tonnes a year (t/y) and a 1.5 million-t/y aromatics complex, along with associated downstream derivatives.

MEED understands that the Yasref petrochemicals expansion project, which is also referred to as Yasref+, is part of Aramco’s $100bn liquids-to-chemicals programme.

The central ambition of the strategic programme is to derive greater economic value from every barrel of crude produced in Saudi Arabia by converting 4 million b/d of Aramco’s oil production into high-value petrochemicals and chemicals feedstocks by 2030.

ALSO READ: Saudi downstream projects market enters lean period
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16383830/main3043.jpg

Indrajit Sen

Kuwait sets April deadline for $718m drainage tender

14 April 2026

Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works has set a 21 April deadline for a major tender estimated to be worth about KD222m ($718m).

The tender scope covers the construction of rainwater drainage networks across the residential areas of Sabah Al-Ahmad, South Sabah Al-Ahmad, Al-Khairan and Al-Wafra.

The Ministry of Public Works floated the tender on 22 March.

According to regional projects tracker MEED Projects, the works include the construction of a major concrete sewer, three collection basins and extensive stormwater drainage basins.

Rainwater collection tanks will be connected through an independent network, with outlets to the sea via the Nuwaiseeb exit to manage overflow.

The infrastructure will also filter pollutants such as oils, minerals and sediments to protect water quality and support environmental sustainability.

The project aims to reduce surface runoff, prevent street and urban flooding, and improve groundwater recharge.

UK analytics firm GlobalData expects Kuwait’s construction industry to grow by 5.1% in 2026-29, supported by government investment in the oil and gas sector aimed at raising production, as well as investment in the infrastructure sector.

In the short term, growth will be boosted by planned expenditure under the 2025-26 budget, which was approved in March 2025.

The construction industry in Kuwait is expected to record an annual average growth rate of 4.9% in 2026-29, supported by investments in renewable energy, transport, and oil and gas projects.

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

Economic shock threatens long-term outlook; Riyadh adjusts to fiscal and geopolitical risk; GCC contractor ranking reflects gigaprojects slowdown.

Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the April 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

> AGENDA: Gulf economies under fire

> GCC CONTRACTOR RANKING: Construction guard undergoes a shift

> MARKET FOCUS: Risk accelerates Saudi spending shift

> LEGAL: Redefining the region’s arbitration landscape

> QATAR LNG: Qatar’s new $8bn investment heats up global LNG race

> INTERVIEW: Leyla Abdimomunova, National Development Division, PIF

> LEADERSHIP: Shaping the future of passenger rail in the Middle East

To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16383203/main.jpg

Yasir Iqbal

Local firm makes hydrocarbon discovery in Oman’s Block 7
14 April 2026

Omani oil and gas exploration and production company Masar Petroleum has announced a discovery in the Hasirah Ridge in the sultanate’s Block 7.

Masar Petroleum was the inaugural operator to appraise and produce hydrocarbons from the Hasirah reservoir in Block 7 in 2017.

Building on that experience, Masar Petroleum has now successfully drilled a new exploration well south of its existing discoveries, validating the concept of the Hasirah Ridge — a geological trend 5 kilometres wide and 30km long mapped across Block 7 using 2D seismic data.

This discovery represents the first step towards unlocking the Ridge’s prospective resource base of 100 million to 380 million barrels, Masar Petroleum said in a statement.

Following this discovery, a planned 3D seismic survey and exploration and appraisal programme is expected to advance the development of the new resources by the end of 2028.

First production from this field is expected to come on stream during the last quarter of this year.

Masar Petroleum plans to rapidly advance appraisal and development opportunities across Block 7.

“Masar is a proud Omani E&P company that has delivered significant value through a continuous and focused effort on unlocking our potential,” Abdulsattar AlMurshidi, CEO of Masar Petroleum, said.

ALSO READ: Oman offers five hydrocarbon exploration blocks in new bidding round

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16383075/main2121.jpg

Indrajit Sen

Bidders get more time for Saudi water transmission projects

14 April 2026

Saudi Arabia’s Water Transmission Company (WTCO) has extended the bid submission deadlines for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts for two major independent water transmission system projects.

The Jubail-Buraidah and Ras Mohaisen-Baha-Mecca transmission projects were first tendered last September under the public-private partnership model.

The deadlines for qualified contractors to submit technical and financial bids had initially been extended to March.

The new bid submission deadline for the Jubail-Buraidah project is 30 April.

Scheduled to begin construction in 2027, the scheme comprises an approximately 348-kilometre-long greenfield water transmission system with a capacity of 840,650 cubic metres a day (cm/d), delivering water from the Ashmasiah reservoirs to cities and towns in Al-Qassim province.

The project is large by WTCO standards. The company’s second phase of the Khobar-Hofuf system, completed in 2024, was 140km in length, with a capacity exceeding 530,000 cm/d.

Ras Mohaisen-Baha-Mecca

For the Ras Mohaisen-Baha-Mecca water transmission system project, the new bid submission deadline is 7 May.

The project involves constructing an approximately 325km-long greenfield independent water transmission system with a capacity of 542,000 cm/d, delivering water from Ras Mohaisen to the Adham and Aradhiyah regions.

Prequalification for both projects closed on 15 January.

It is understood that local firms Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies and Mutlaq Al-Ghowairi Contracting Company (MGC) are among those qualified to bid for the Ras Mohaisen contract.

MGC secured the EPC contract for an even larger independent water transmission pipeline project in June last year.

The project, also linking Jubail and Buraidah, spans 587km and carries 650,000 cm/d.

According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, construction works recently commenced on the project, which is estimated to cost about SR8.5bn ($2.2bn).

WTCO is also planning to tender a contract for phase two of the Ras Mohaisen water transmission system project. This includes laying water transmission pipelines 408km in length with a capacity of 400,000 cm/d. This project is estimated to cost around $600m.

It is understood that the main contract tender will be issued in 2027.