Renderings of stadiums for the World Cup in Saudi Arabia are impressing some of the biggest sceptics of the tournament in that part of the world. They are part of Saudi Vision 2030 - a controversial plan behind which the kingdom's dangerous leader stands. The example of the Qatar World Cup also sheds some light on the project's chances of success.

Saudi panache

Saudi Arabia's bid is pure madness. The designs of the stadiums for the World Cup are hard to describe because we have simply not seen such renderings before. The venues are to be spread across five locations. The host cities include Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, Al Khobar and Neom. On average, there are three stadiums per city.

Most arenas will be brand new. On top of that, in as many as 8 out of 15 cases, the Saudis write explicitly that the stadium in question will be part of a new district, mini-city or complex. Whatever we call these areas, they are to become a centre not only for sport, but also for entertainment, culture or education. The whole thing is also part of a huge plan.

Powerful influences and a dire reputation for the face of the World Cup

The website saudi2034bid.com openly proclaims that the FIFA 2034 World Cup is part of a grand project, Saudi Vision 2030. Upon accessing the aforementioned website and scrolling down a bit, one comes across a sizable banner, saying: "SAUDI 2034 BID VISION & LEGACY". After clicking on the "Learn more" sign, we find ourselves on a subpage that welcomes us with another title: "VISION 2030, A PATHWAY TO THE FUTURE" - proclaims the slogan pompously. It further reads: "Vision 2030 is a national strategic program launched in 2016 by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister."

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium

Salman is on the list of the richest monarchs and their family members. His personal net worth is... $25 billion. This is five times more than Donald Trump's net worth, for example. What kind of person is the Saudi prime minister? "A psychopath with no empathy, doesn't feel emotion, never learned from his experience. And we have witnessed atrocities and crimes committed by this killer," is what Saad bin Khalid Al Jabri, former Major General, Minister of State and long-time advisor to the dethroned Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Muhammad bin Nayef, said of the Saudi Arabian Prime Minister. As you may have guessed, this is not the only unfavourable, to put it mildly, opinion on the Arabian Peninsula's main originator of the World Cup. There are dozens or hundreds of statements in a similar style.

The other main backer and sponsor, according to the official website of the Saudi bid, is the king himself, King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud. His personal net worth is $18 billion. The website quotes the leader's statement: "Thanks to the determination and enthusiasm of its citizens, the Kingdom has been able to consolidate its position as one of the most leading international sports destinations." Well, fans have not reacted so enthusiastically to the news that Saudi Arabia is hosting the World Cup.

Stadiums an integral part of the controversial Saudi Vision 2030 plan

The 8 stadiums mentioned at the beginning, to be built in new mini-cities, are part of Saudi Vision 2030. This programme involves the construction of 24 projects. Their total cost is expected to be $1,109,473,300,000, equivalent to $1.109 trillion. What could go wrong? Controversy has arisen, for example, around sporting events organised as part of the Vision 2030 strategy, which have been described as attempts at 'sportswashing' - a distraction from human rights abuses. Following the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American journalist and critic of the Saudi Arabian government, foreign investor interest in the Kingdom dropped significantly, although there was an increase in foreign investment in 2018.

The NEOM city project and other futuristic initiatives centred on World Cup stadiums have also received criticism. A former Saudi Arabian officer and colonel, Rabih Alenezi, recalls 2020, when thousands of people were displaced and the settlements where they lived were destroyed. According to him, people who resisted the resolve were to be killed. All this on the site where, among other things, the World Cup stadium would be built in the future. In 2020, after one of the disobedient was killed, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hired an American PR firm to counteract the negative views of the project.

Roshn Stadium

Another of the controversial actions was the mass demolition of neighbourhoods in Jeddah, affecting more than half a million people. Amnesty International revealed that many residents were informed of the displacement only 24 hours before it was implemented. Despite promises of compensation, the situation has not changed, especially for migrants who have not received any compensation.

Visions such as the 170-kilometre linear city 'The Line' have raised concerns about their reality and environmental impact. Critics note that while the project is presented as innovative, it could take decades to realise, calling into question its success by 2030.

World Cup 2030 - the failure of Saudi Arabia's candidacy

In 2021, Saudi Arabia hired the Boston Consulting Group and several other Western consultants to consider the possibility of bidding to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. These firms were tasked with analysing Arabia's chances of making a successful bid. Ultimately, the bid was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, there was still some hope, as Mohammed bin Salman maintained a close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

As a result, Saudi Arabia won the rights to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup on its own in 2023. As part of its Vision 2030 programme, Saudi Arabia is also focusing on sport, as evidenced by its success in signing deals with Italy and Spain to host the national cup finals. These matches have been played in a relatively small stadium in Riyadh this year, so that it did not shine empty. For example, during the last Italian Super Cup, held in January, an average of 18,476 people sat in the stands.

Is Saudi Arabia ready to host the World Cup?

Currently, Saudi Arabia would not be able to host the World Cup, even in its current format. There are only 2 stadiums in the country with a capacity of more than 40,000 spectators. In order to host the best football teams in the world according to the new World Cup format, which calls for 48 teams to participate, the Saudis need to build or expand 13 more such venues. So it seems that Saudi Arabia's candidacy did not win out over other bids - there was probably a lot of money at stake. Although we probably all realised this a long time ago. Saudi Arabia was jointly competed against by countries that are far more ready for the challenge of hosting the World Cup.

Murabba Stadium

Could Saudi Arabia host the World Cup at a lower cost than planned? Of course. The country has a number of stadiums that have athletics tracks and the facilities are not restricted by neighbouring developments. This means there is scope to bring the stands closer to the turf, to expand and to comply with FIFA standards. So the Saudis could have taken a simpler and cheaper route to the World Cup. However, they chose the risky one, combined with a huge undertaking - Saudi Vision 2030. There are more than five years left until 2030. In that time, will the plan's originators have completed more than a trillion dollars' worth of work on the Arabian Peninsula? It is hard to believe, although given the resources available to the Kingdom, such a scenario is possible.

Record low attendances at Saudi league matches

In the context of the upcoming 2034 World Cup, it is worth reflecting on the potential fan interest in the event. As data from the 2023/24 Saudi Arabian league season shows, attendances at some matches were extremely low. The Al-Riyadh vs Al-Khaleej match, for example, attracted just 144 spectators, while other matches such as Abha vs Al-Hazm and Al-Riyadh vs Al-Hazm attracted 257 and 264 fans respectively. Even a more popular match such as Al-Feiha vs Al-Ettifaq generated an interest of 610.

Statistics like these raise doubts about whether stadiums can be filled during the World Cup, especially for the less attractive matches. One can also be sure that the stadiums will be empty after the tournament is over. The low interest in the local league may be one of the reasons why some European footballers, such as Jordan Henderson or Ivan Rakitić, decided to return to the Old Continent quickly after a short time in Saudi Arabia.

The unrealised projects in Qatar foreshadow the Saudi Arabia fiasco?

There are as many as 10 unrealised Qatari concepts in our database of stadium projects. "Retractable roof over the pitch, retractable stands, partially movable turf". - This was to be one of the stadiums for the 2022 World Cup. Another plan was to build the arena on an artificially raised promontory. The facility was to be cooled by water from the bay and the shape of the promontory was to resemble a harbour wharf.

King Salman International Stadium

Sport City Stadium was to cost more than $2 billion. The facility was to become a venue for a variety of sports, not just football. In addition, there was to be a shopping mall with an observation deck, a luxury hotel and an amphitheatre. Of course, the stadiums in Qatar were spectacular, but these more ambitious plans were not realised.

Could this aspect of the World Cup in Qatar be repeated when the World Cup begins in 10 years' time? The Saudi tournament venue designs are even more impressive, and the higher the expectations, the more powerful the disappointment may prove to be. One thing is certain - we will see many voices opposing the World Cup in Saudi Arabia in the years to come. The World Cup and impressive stadiums will serve to warm the Kingdom's image, but such a major tournament will turn many eyes to the Saudi Vision 2030 controversy. How many people will be affected by the building of major cities and stadiums? That only Mohammed bin Salman, a friend of Gianni Infantino, knows.