Saudi Arabia unveils NEOM’s “Sky Stadium” for 2034 FIFA World Cup
Saudi Arabia, host of FIFA World Cup 2034, has revealed plans for a futuristic “Sky Stadium” inside its mega-city NEOM.
Saudi Arabia has revealed an extraordinary plan to build the world’s first “Sky Stadium” , a sports arena suspended 350 metres above the desert. The futuristic design will be part of NEOM, the $500 billion mega-city project and home to the linear city known as The Line. The country recently won the bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034, and this stadium could become one of its most iconic venues.
NEOM, launched in 2017, is a central part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to reduce oil dependence and promote tourism, technology, and sports. The project spans an area 33 times larger than New York City and includes four major developments The Line, Oxagon, Trojena, and Sindalah.
The Line is a 170-kilometre-long city with no cars or streets, powered fully by renewable energy. Inside this structure, the Sky Stadium will seat around 46,000 people and cost about $1 billion. It will feature renewable energy power, high-speed elevators, and driverless transport. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and finish by 2032.
After the World Cup, the stadium will continue to host sports and concerts. However, experts warn of major challenges, from financial costs to technical hurdles. Critics also raise concerns about “sports-washing” using global sports events to shift focus from human-rights and labour issues in Saudi Arabia.
If completed, the Sky Stadium could change the future of architecture and redefine how the world experiences sports.
