Saudi Arabia quietly shelving NEOM Stadium, one of 2034 World Cup venues

Saudi Arabia is quietly abandoning plans for the NEOM Stadium, one of the key venues for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The ambitious stadium, located in a glitzy steel and glass structure known as The Line, was set to be part of the NEOM development. NEOM was introduced a decade ago as a centerpiece of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030, a plan to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on oil.

In April, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of NEOM's owner the Public Investment Fund, confirmed that The Line was no longer a priority and not vital before 2030, the original delivery target for its first phase. However, plans to build the NEOM Stadium have now been shelved indefinitely. The World Cup 2034 Hosting Higher Authority noted substantial progress on other construction milestones but did not address the NEOM Stadium or costs.

Saudi Arabia is working on building or renovating 15 venues across five cities and dozens of training facilities, totaling $22.7 billion in value. The NEOM Stadium is expected to cost $2.5 billion and has no listed completion date. The nation is facing challenges such as the Iran war, disruptions to energy shipments, and a fiscal deficit and GDP contraction.