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Saudi Arabia reportedly puts NEOM Stadium for 2034 World Cup on hold
Versión 2: A third outlet, Newsis, reported the same suspension and described the project as at risk of being scrapped, but added no new facts.
En breve
Saudi Arabia has put construction of the planned NEOM Stadium, a 46,000-seat venue for the 2034 World Cup, on indefinite hold, according to a Reuters report carried by Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo. The Dubai-based construction data firm MEED Projects lists the project, estimated to cost $2.5 billion, as “on hold”. Neither the Saudi government media office nor NEOM has commented, and World Cup authorities would say only that major construction phases are progressing.
Leer la noticia completa 2 min de lectura
Reuters reported on Oct. 4, citing two people familiar with the matter, that construction of NEOM Stadium, planned for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, has been put on indefinite hold. Yonhap carried the report in detail, and Chosun Ilbo also reported the suspension. [ 1 , 2 ]
Dubai-based construction market data firm MEED Projects lists the stadium project, with an estimated construction cost of $2.5 billion, as “on hold”, Reuters reported, citing its analysis team tracking regional tenders and projects. Reuters noted that other stadiums and facilities Saudi Arabia is building or renovating for the tournament appear in MEED data with completion dates between 2026 and 2033, while no completion date is given for NEOM Stadium. [ 1 ]
Under the construction plan released in 2024, NEOM Stadium was to have 46,000 seats in NEOM, the low-carbon futuristic city Saudi Arabia is building, and was to host group-stage, round-of-32, round-of-16 and quarter-final matches. It was to sit on a 350-metre-high cliff of The Line, a linear structure 200 metres wide, 500 metres high and 170 kilometres long, reachable only by self-driving cars and high-speed lifts and powered by wind and solar energy. [ 1 ]
Reuters linked the hold to Saudi Arabia's difficulties since the war that began with a US and Israeli attack on Iran in late February, including Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, problems shipping oil and damage to key infrastructure, as the kingdom adjusted plans for The Line. Yassir Al-Rumayyan, governor of PIF, the sovereign wealth fund building NEOM, said in April that The Line was not NEOM's priority and that finishing it before the original 2030 target for the first phase was not essential, adding that no project had been cancelled. A consortium of Samsung C&T and Hyundai E&C said in March it had received a contract termination notice for The Line's tunnel works. [ 1 ]
The Saudi government media office and NEOM have made no official comment on the stadium hold, Reuters said. Saudi World Cup authorities said only that significant progress is being made at major stages of construction and did not answer questions about NEOM Stadium. Aramco Stadium, newly built in the eastern city of Al Khobar, is due to be completed at the end of this year and to host its first match next January, with other stadiums under construction. [ 1 ]
Chosun Ilbo framed the suspension as the unravelling of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's vision, attributing it to fiscal deficits and the fallout of the US-Iran war. Newsis reported in a headline that the project was at risk of being scrapped; its published article text did not cover the story. [ 2 , 3 ]
Por qué importa
The stadium was described as the most ambitious of the 15 venues Saudi Arabia is building or renovating for the 2034 World Cup, so the reported hold raises questions about the tournament's venue plans. The move follows the scaling back of The Line, where a Samsung C&T and Hyundai E&C consortium said it lost its tunnel contract, giving Korean readers a direct link. With no official explanation from Saudi authorities or NEOM, the project's fate remains unclear.
Datos clave
- Reuters reported on Oct. 4, citing two people familiar with the matter, that NEOM Stadium construction is on indefinite hold, according to Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo. [ 1 , 2 ]
- MEED Projects, a Dubai-based construction market data firm, classifies the stadium project, with an estimated construction cost of $2.5 billion, as “on hold”. [ 1 ]
- NEOM Stadium was to have 46,000 seats and was considered the most ambitious of the 15 stadiums Saudi Arabia is building or renovating for the 2034 World Cup. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Other stadiums and facilities in MEED data are listed for completion between 2026 and 2033, while no completion date is given for NEOM Stadium. [ 1 ]
- The Saudi government media office and NEOM have made no official comment, and World Cup authorities said only that major construction stages are progressing. [ 1 ]
- PIF governor Yassir Al-Rumayyan said in April that The Line was not NEOM's priority and that no project had been cancelled. [ 1 ]
- Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar is due for completion at the end of this year, with its first match next January. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo attributed the hold to fiscal deficits and the fallout of the US-Iran war, and described it as the unravelling of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's vision. [ 2 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- Reuters reported on Oct. 4, citing two sources, that NEOM Stadium construction for the 2034 World Cup has been put on indefinite hold; Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo both carried the report. [ 1 , 2 ]
- NEOM Stadium was the most ambitious of the 15 stadiums Saudi Arabia is building or renovating for the 2034 World Cup. [ 1 , 2 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- Whether the stadium project has been permanently cancelled or could resume. Neither the Saudi government media office nor NEOM has made an official statement, and the hold is reported through unnamed sources cited by Reuters.
- The reason for the hold. The documents give different explanations: Reuters links it to the adjustment of The Line plan and to war-related oil shipping difficulties and infrastructure damage, while Chosun Ilbo cites fiscal deficits and the aftermath of the US-Iran war; no official reason has been given.
- When, or whether, NEOM Stadium would be completed. Reuters says no completion date is given for the stadium in MEED Projects data, unlike other World Cup venues.
Qué dicen los medios locales
Cronología, hora local
- Yonhap publishes a report citing Reuters that NEOM Stadium construction has been put on indefinite hold, based on two sources. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports the suspension, describing it as a blow to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plans. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reports in a headline that the NEOM Stadium project is at risk of being scrapped. [ 3 ]