2024-01-15T16:38:35+00:00
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/ Saudi Arabia announced on Monday its intention to build a new sports stadium, the first of its kind, on one of the peaks of Tuwaiq Mountain, at a height of 200 meters, as part of its efforts to promote domestic and foreign tourism.
The new stadium is set to bear the name of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to what the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported from the Qiddiya Investment Company, which will launch the project in the city of Qiddiya, 40 minutes from Riyadh.
The statement indicated that “the stadium will contribute to enhancing Qiddiya’s philosophy of the power of play, and will be equipped with unprecedented technologies and capabilities that make it multi-purpose, and capable of hosting the largest sporting, entertainment and cultural events in Saudi Arabia.”
The company expects the stadium to attract visitors from all over the world, “through its exceptional design and unique technical features, which will make the fan feel as if he is in the heart of the event.”
The announcement comes just weeks after Mohammed bin Salman announced the launch of the urban plan for Qiddiya and its global brand, with the Kingdom saying it aims to make Riyadh one of the world’s 10 largest city economies.
The statement said that the project “will contribute to enhancing tourism, providing thousands of job opportunities, contributing to the development of the national economy, and increasing the number of expected annual visits to the Kingdom by 1.8 million visits by attracting football fans, and six million visits by those interested in activities other than football matches.”
The stadium is set to become the home ground for Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal clubs, and will host several major local and international football competitions. It is also one of the proposed sites to host the 2034 World Cup, which the Kingdom recently came close to winning as it is the only bidder.
The company said that “its innovative design will also allow it to be used for multiple purposes, as its entire floor can be transformed within hours into an arena prepared to host various sporting and entertainment events such as: rugby competitions, boxing, mixed martial arts, e-sports tournaments, exhibitions and major concerts.”