Saudi Arabia's $2.5 billion NEOM stadium reportedly shelved despite being part of 2034 FIFA World Cup

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has quietly shelved plans for the $2.5 billion (Dh 9.18 billion) NEOM Stadium, which was expected to host matches during the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

The 46,000-seat stadium was planned as one of the most ambitious venues for the tournament, with the arena designed to sit more than 350 metres above the ground inside The Line, the futuristic 160-kilometre development forming part of NEOM.

The stadium plans have now been shelved indefinitely, according to Reuters, following delays and the scaling back of The Line project. MEED Projects, a Dubai-based construction market intelligence platform, lists the stadium as “on hold” and has no completion date for the project.

NEOM was launched as a centrepiece of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 programme. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) which owns NEOM, said in April that The Line was no longer a priority and was not vital before 2030. He denied that projects had been cancelled.

The 2034 World Cup Hosting Higher Authority said substantial construction milestones were already being delivered but did not directly address the NEOM Stadium. The King Fahd Stadium is undergoing renovation and Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar is nearing completion as part of the 2034 World Cup stadiums.

Saudi Arabia is developing or renovating 15 venues across five cities for the first 48-team World Cup to be hosted by a single nation. MEED estimates the overall stadium and related project value at $22.7 billion (Dh 83.37 billion). However, NEOM stadium’s future for now remains questionable.