Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has endorsed the Kingdom’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034. (SPA)
Sun 04 August 2024:
Saudi Arabia plans to have 15 football stadiums ready for the 2034 men’s FIFA World Cup, with games set to take place in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha, and the new urban area of Neom. Each stadium will have over 40,000 seats, meeting FIFA’s requirements.
Yasser Al Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, stated that the stadiums would feature the latest technologies to enhance the fan experience.
Riyadh, which is also set to host the 2030 World Expo, will host the opening and final matches at the new King Salman Stadium, designed to accommodate over 92,000 spectators.
Just a few years ago, Saudi Arabia seemed an unlikely host for a global event like the World Cup. However, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s Vision 2030 has accelerated efforts to diversify the economy from oil, focusing on sports, tourism, and entertainment. The local football league now includes stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
__________________________________________________________________________
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22
__________________________________________________________________________
Investment and Development
Prince Mohammed has spearheaded investments in various sectors, from electric vehicles to microchips and mining. While some plans have been scaled back or delayed, the World Cup is a priority project.
Saudi Arabia is expected to be confirmed as the 2034 World Cup host at a FIFA executive meeting in December. This would be the second World Cup in the Gulf, following Qatar’s 2022 tournament.
Saudi Arabia has expressed readiness to host the tournament in any month, despite the extreme summer temperatures, with ongoing discussions with FIFA and other confederations regarding the timing.
The Kingdom plans to provide more than 230,000 rooms across the five host cities for fans and teams. Additionally, Saudi Arabia will host the 2027 Asian Football Cup and the 2029 Asian Winter Games at a mountain resort in Neom.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
______________________________________________________________
FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:
WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22
TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent
FACEBOOK (CLICK HERE)
https://web.facebook.com/ipindependent
YOUTUBE (CLICK HERE)
https://www.youtube.com/@ipindependent
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
