King Fahd Sports City – design description

What is the King Fahd Sports City redevelopment project in a nutshell?

The project to modernize King Fahd Sports City, until now the largest and most important stadium in the country, primarily involves eliminating the athletics track and bringing the stands closer to the field, giving the facility a football-specific layout. However, the stadium will largely retain its existing character and unique roof, which resembles tents.

Plans for the stadium's redevelopment were published as part of Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup. In October 2023, Saudi Arabia also secured its status as host of the 2034 World Cup, where games are also to be played at King Fahd Sports City. The stadium is scheduled for redevelopment between 2024 and 2026.

How was the King Fahd Sports City reconstruction project developed?

How does King Fahd Sports City look like?

King Fahd Sports City opened in 1987 and is the largest stadium in Saudi Arabia. The facility has witnessed many notable events, hosting matches of the Confederations Cup, the Youth World Cup, the country's national football team has played here and local clubs have used it. Although the stadium has an athletics track, it hosts football matches far more often than athletic events.

The facility is characterized by a unique membrane roof reminiscent of Bedouin tents. At the time of its opening, it was the largest-surface stadium roof in the world (47,000 m²).

When were the first plans to modernize King Fahd Sports City conceived?

The modernization of the country's most important stadium had been tried on for some time. In 2016, a concept by Italian studio Schiattarella Associati was approved, which called for the expansion of the facilities and some changes to the stands, while preserving the stadium's identity and its distinctive roof.

The Italian architects' design was ultimately not implemented and the stadium has still remained unchanged since its opening. However, with Saudi Arabia's growing ambitions to host major sporting events, especially in football, work began on new plans to modernize the facility.

When was the current concept for the redevelopment of King Fahd Sports City conceived?

Saudi Arabia wanted to create a joint candidacy, along with Greece and Egypt, to host the 2030 World Cup; in addition, the country also applied to host the 2027 Asian Cup.

Nothing came out of the joint candidacy for the World Cup, but on February 1, 2023, Saudi Arabia was confirmed as the organizer of the 2027 Asian Cup. On the same day, plans for stadiums for the competition were presented to the wider public, including a project to redevelop King Fahd Stadium, which was to be the most important venue for the event, hosting, among other things, the final of the tournament.

The main idea of the project was to eliminate the athletics track and turn the stadium into a football-specific facility.

What changes were made to the King Fahd Sports City redevelopment project?

In December 2023, an updated concept for the stadium's redevelopment was presented, which introduced, among other things, a slightly different look for the stands and a smaller capacity (70,000 spectators, compared to the previously announced 80,000), as well as a revised arrangement of the surroundings.

Another change also took place slightly earlier, in November 2023. The previously used name of the stadium, King Fahd International Stadium, was replaced with a new one: King Fahd Sports City.

Will King Fahd Sports City be the venue for the World Cup?

Although it failed to compete for the 2030 World Cup, Saudi Arabia, this time on its own, decided to apply for the next edition of the World Cup, in 2034. In October 2023, FIFA was accepting applications from candidates. The process was limited to countries in the Asian zone and Oceania, and since Saudi Arabia was the only country to submit a bid, it virtually secured the hosting of the tournament.

With preparations for the World Cup underway, Saudi Arabia had to submit an even more ambitious bid than for the Asian Cup. The full list of 15 venues proposed for the tournament was announced on July 31, 2024, when the so-called “bid book” was published.

On the list of stadiums for the World Cup was, of course, King Fahd Sports City, although no longer as the largest and most important venue, as the massive King Salman International Stadium is to be built to host the opening match and the final, as well as to serve as the new national stadium.

What does the King Fahd Sports City redevelopment project entail?

The project calls for the elimination of the athletics track and the reconstruction of the stands to bring them closer to the pitch. Changes will also take place in the surroundings of the venue. The expansion will give the facility a football-specific layout, and the capacity of the stands will expand to about 70,000 spectators.

The stadium will retain its recognizable roof, to the edge of which a circular panoramic screen will be hooked up. The modernization will enhance visitor comfort and commercial opportunities at the stadium, which is expected to house a sports museum and new stores.

Despite the decommissioning of the athletics track, there will be the possibility of temporarily installing it, as was done at Hampden Park for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The track will be needed, for example, for the Asian Games, to be held in Riyadh in late 2034.

When will King Fahd Sports City be redeveloped?

According to information from the World Cup “bid book” published in the summer of 2024, the redevelopment of King Fahd Sports City is planned for 2024–2026.