Saudis detail 2034 World Cup plan, including stadium 350m above ground

PARIS (AP) — Saudi Arabia detailed a massive stadium building project Wednesday to host the 2034 World Cup in men’s soccer, with one venue 350 meters (yards) above ground in a planned futuristic city.

A 46,000-seat stadium in the Neom megaproject along the Red Sea coast is “designed to stand out among the world’s most iconic landmarks,” according to the first overall World Cup plan published by Saudi soccer officials.

The Neom stadium is set to link to a network of tram-like vehicles running in “horizontal transport corridors ... placed at 30, 150, 250, 350 and 450 meters above ground,” the Saudi plans stated.

The World Cup project includes a previously announced plan for a stadium atop a 200-meter (yard) cliff near the capital Riyadh, with an entire wall of LED screens that opens out to views of the city.

Riyadh is set to have eight of 15 stadiums of at least 45,000 seats, the tournament plan said, with four in the Red Sea city Jeddah and one each in Al Khobar, Abha and Neom.

A 92,000-seat stadium in Riyadh set to host the final is one of eight that are currently just design plans. Four of the 15 stadiums will refurbish existing venues and three new stadiums are currently being built.

The scale of construction is likely to cost hundreds of billions of dollars in Saudi Arabia over the next decade. It echoes the national modernization plan that Qatar undertook for the 2022 World Cup, which was played in November and December to avoid the region’s searing desert heat in June and July.

Qatar faced intense scrutiny on its labor laws and working conditions for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, and Saudi Arabia can expect similar questions. At the UN Human Rights Council review of Saudi Arabia in January, widespread concerns raised included Australia noting “exploitation of migrant and foreign workers.”

Hosting sports and entertainment events is key to the Vision 2030 plan to diversify the Saudi economy and society, driven by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who is also the kingdom’s prime minister.

“We aim to provide a diverse tourism, cultural and sport experience in a great historical and civilizational heritage,” the crown prince, known widely as MBS, said in a foreword to the 250-page project document.

The oil-rich kingdom has been a shoo-in to host a 48-team, 104-game edition of soccer’s marquee event since FIFA opened a surprise, fast-track bid contest last October open only to countries in Asia and Oceania. Saudi Arabia was quickly confirmed as the only candidate with FIFA final confirmation set for Dec. 11 at an online meeting of 211 member federations.

The Saudi plan is to host the entire tournament alone, though there has been speculation some games could be offered to neighboring and nearby states.

FIFA set a July 31 deadline to get host project documents from Saudi Arabia and the only candidate to host the 2030 World Cup — a joint bid by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, plus Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The South American neighbors each will each get one game to honor Uruguay being the inaugural World Cup host in 1930.

On the sidelines of the Paris Olympics, FIFA President Gianni Infantino met Sunday in the French capital with officials of the seven future hosts who delivered their detailed plans.

Infantino has built close ties to Saudi Arabia and the crown prince, and the relationship did not publicly waver despite the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi that set back the kingdom’s diplomatic reputation.

Since picking Qatar as a World Cup host in a 2010 decision, FIFA now requires bidders to have a human rights strategy for the tournament, which the Saudi document said was assessed by law firm Clifford Chance.

The Saudi bid document pledged to engage with the kingdom’s own state agencies and the UN-backed International Labor Organization in Geneva, which also worked with Qatar over several years. Trades unions filed a complaint with the ILO about Saudi Arabia this year.

No partnerships with NGOs or independent rights advisors were promised, though a stated goal is to “ensure equitable wages and decent working and living conditions for all individuals involved in World Cup preparations.”

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