by Ten years before it will host the football World Cup, the scale of the task before Saudi Arabia is becoming clear, including building stadiums, hotels and transport links.
As the only bidder, Saudi Arabia was anointed to host the 2034 World Cup last October by FIFA.
Infrastructure is the primary concern for the oil-rich kingdom, which is hosting high-profile sporting events in a bid to shed its conservative image and attract foreign investment.
Despite its oil wealth, the world’s largest crude oil exporter has a lot on its plate. He has committed to several other massive projects — including NEOM, a futuristic new $500 billion city — as part of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.
To host the 48-team World Cup, the country needs 14 all-seater stadiums capable of holding at least 40,000 people, according to the bid document.
It currently has two: Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and Riyadh’s King Fahd International Stadium, which is undergoing major renovations.
Saudi Arabia has an established and popular football league but among its 30-plus stadiums, many are old, small and have playing fields surrounded by athletics tracks, a design that has long been obsolete.
“We still have a full 10 years ahead of us which will make the state of the stadiums in Saudi Arabia change a lot,” an official of the Saudi Football Federation told AFP.
“It is a huge challenge, but we will overcome it,” the official said on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
By the time the World Cup kicks off, the 2027 Asian Cup and even the 2029 Asian Winter Games will be hosted by the desert country of 32 million, a decision that has been slammed by environmentalists.
In 2034, the same year as the World Cup, Riyadh will host the Asian Games — a two-week competition with more events than the Summer Olympics and the same number of athletes.
– Clifftop Stadium –
Saudi Arabia, where alcohol is banned, was the sole bidder for 2034 after gas-rich neighbor Qatar hosted the first World Cup in the Middle East at a cost of $220 billion, including related infrastructure.
The Saudis, often accused of “laundering sports”, can expect the same criticism of women’s rights, laws against homosexuality and migrant labor that the Qatari organizers faced.
With the 2027 Asian Cup looming, work has begun not only on the refit of the King Fahd International Stadium but also on a new cliff-top venue in Qeddiya, a mega-project outside the capital, and another stadium in the eastern city of Dammam.
All are planned to open in 2026.
Authorities are planning another one in Diriyah, the former base of the Al Saud royal dynasty, and its design has already been approved, according to a Saudi official.
The sports ministry is preparing to issue tenders worth 10 billion dollars ($2.69 billion) to build and expand football venues, according to domestic media.
World Cup matches are planned for Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Abha along with Qiddiya and NEOM, both cornerstones of Prince Mohammed’s Vision 2030 and under construction.
Saudi Arabia will need more than stadiums, said architect Hussein Mahran.
“Factors such as accommodation and public transport within cities and between cities still need to be developed,” he told AFP in Riyadh last month, at a conference on stadium design and engineering.
“But it is clear that the kingdom is moving strongly on this path,” he said.
– ‘It’s not easy at all’ –
Summer in a country where temperatures top 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) daily can make any outdoor activity hazardous, increasing the risk of dehydration, heat stroke and heart failure.
However, Yasser Al Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, told AFP last year that he is open to a summer or winter World Cup.
Radwan Darwish of Saudi cooling company GreenAire said his firm has applied for contracts to cool three existing stadiums used for the Saudi Arabian League, which has started a campaign to attract and attract top international players stars already including Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.
“It is difficult, realistically to try to transfer the success of Europe in the world of football to the kingdom, without adapting all the stadiums,” said Darwish to AFP, given the intense heat.
One of the biggest tasks is to upgrade the Saudi workforce to run a successful World Cup.
Stadiums need event managers, security staff, ticketing staff, cleaners and food and beverage staff.
Lee Collier of the consultancy group STRI claimed that it was a “significant challenge” to “provide maximum training and create sufficient numbers of people to be able to manage these centres”.
While Saudi has the petro-dollars to import such expertise, it also has a mission to develop Saudi talent, Collier said.
“The journey is not easy at all,” said Sophocles Sophocleous, who represents a hybrid grass firm.
“But what gives you hope is the commitment at the top to help Saudi Arabia achieve this goal – and the financial capital, of course.”
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