BEFORE answering, we congratulate the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince, who are the creators of the Kingdom’s vision and global plans and who have brought us to a great place. We also congratulate the Saudi people for this great achievement. There is no doubt that our beloved state, under the shadow of its wise leadership, is achieving historic and great achievements in all fields, especially in the field of sports. Saudi Arabia will be the first country in history to host the biggest edition of the World Cup alone, with 48 national teams competing in five cities. This will happen after the approval of the new system by the International Football Federation (FIFA).
Saudi Arabia submitted its official bid to host the World Cup last July with the slogan “We will all grow together”, through which it has expressed its ambitions to host this important football tournament. Revealed plans to host matches in 15 stadiums, in five cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha and Neom, as well as ten other locations. Saudi Arabia aims to provide exceptional experiences for players and fans around the world by hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034, as well as providing excellent facilities and accommodation that cater to the diverse needs of visitors. Similarly, the state is also focusing on environmental protection and sustainability of projects. Apart from this, a modern transportation system will be available which will facilitate the fans to reach the stadiums quickly and easily.
Last October, an official “FIFA” delegation visited Saudi Arabia to review the details of its bid to host. The delegation reviewed all the host cities, projects and sports facilities that were listed in the hosting application, besides reviewing all the future preparations for hosting this global football event, which is for the first time in history. 48 national teams will participate in one country. Saudi Arabia’s entry achieved the highest ranking in the tournament’s history, with 420 points out of 500, which meets the requirements for hosting the event (held every four years). “The 2034 World Cup will be unique and unprecedented,” FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, said Wednesday at the announcement of the host nations, adding that the kingdom had “presented a complete application.” Saudi Arabia has allocated 15 stadiums, of which 11 are new stadiums, with a total capacity of over 775,000 seats. Of these 15 stadiums, 8 are in Riyadh, 4 in Jeddah, and one each in Al-Khobar, Abha, and Neom. The King Salman Stadium, which will start work next year and is expected to be completed by 2029, is considered the crown jewel of new stadiums as it will have a capacity of over 92,000 spectators.
And the first and final match will be held in the same stadium. The host cities of the tournament will receive full support from 10 other cities, namely Al-Baha, Jizan, Taif, Madinah, Amlij, Al-Ula, Tabuk, Hail, Al-Ahsa and Burida. These cities will host national team camps before and during the tournament. As 48 teams will participate in the tournament, a record number of fans are expected in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is preparing to provide more than 232,000 hotel units in the five cities where the matches will be held to host them. According to the news agency, 47,000 hotel units are currently ready in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Neom and Abha, which means that more than 185,000 hotel units will be produced.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia has designated 10 zones for celebrations and events in the five host cities, which will vary in capacity, the largest in terms of capacity being King Salman Park in Riyadh, which can hold around 80,000 spectators. The president of the Saudi Football Federation, Mr. Yasser Al-Mashal, said in a previous interview with a Saudi newspaper that no large amount of money has been allocated for the development of infrastructure for the World Cup. The kingdom is currently in a phase of rapid growth, with expansion plans in hotels, hospitals, the tourism sector, and the football sector. The amount spent is not a problem as it meets the requirements. This coincides with several major projects in recent years in various regions of Saudi Arabia, which could make it the world’s largest construction market by 2028. There is no doubt that this great success for Saudi Arabia has come after completing several important elements and requirements. This is a great achievement; our dreams and aspirations have become the reality we are living today. Congratulations to all of us.
—The writer is contributing columnist.
