Saudi Arabia's $2.5 billion NEOM stadium reportedly shelved despite being part of 2034 FIFA World Cup

Saudi Arabia has reportedly cancelled plans for a $2.5 billion (Dh 9.18 billion) NEOM Stadium, which was intended to be a key venue for the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The 46,000-seat venue was envisioned as an impressive landmark within The Line, a groundbreaking 160-kilometre development part of NEOM. However, the stadium's construction has been put on indefinite hold due to delays and the downsizing of the The Line project.

MEED Projects, a Dubai-based construction intelligence platform, lists the stadium as "on hold" with no completion date in sight. NEOM, initiated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 program, saw The Line as a non-essential priority before 2030. Despite this, the 2034 World Cup Organising Authority confirmed ongoing major construction progress on other Saudi World Cup stadiums, such as the King Fahd Stadium and Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar.

Saudi Arabia aims to develop or renovate 15 venues across five cities for the upcoming 48-team World Cup hosted by one nation, totaling an estimated $22.7 billion (Dh 83.37 billion) in stadium investments.