THE 2034 World Cup might be a decade away but work has already begun on a stunning futuristic Minecraft arena in Saudi Arabia.
The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium is perched on a cliff no less than 650ft high in Riyadh and decked out in LED panels.
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The 45,000-seater is expected to cost more than £1BILLION, with construction set to get underway in 2026.
The logo-like arena will become the world’s first fully integrated venue with a combined retractable pitch and man-made LAKE fuelled air-con.
The LED wall will be a portal to live event broadcasts, high-definition films and will open to reveal breathtaking views of the city when not activated.
There will be three stands, with one side open, offering a dramatic vista of the Qiddiya city itself.
The exterior will be formed by a collection of modular cubes that will act as the extension of the Tuwaiq cliffs in a huge digital canvas.
Its aim, other than to host football matches at the 2034 World Cup, is to “connect the upper plateau and Gaming and Esports District to the theme parks below”, according to The Mail.
One Saudi-based industry insider told The Mail: “This will be the first time we have seen that brought to life.
“SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles has a massive screen. This stadium is a massive screen.”
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The climate will be controlled via a lake underneath which collects rain water to pre-cool the air conditioning system.
There will be a retractable roof and a digital wall which will drop down in front of the spectator’s view, with work set to finish up in 2029.
And at the touch of a button the surface will flip from grass to artificial turf.
The Minecraft-esque stadium is set to play host to Cristiano Ronaldo’s current side Al-Nassr once it’s complete.
Beneath the glitzy facades of the Saudis developments, lies the stories of threats, forced evictions and bloodshed.
Many projects have faced fierce criticism over human rights abuses – including the £400billion Neom Stadium project where tribes were reportedly shoved out of their homeland, imprisoned or executed.
Only last month, in an ITV documentary, workers complained of 16-hour days, their passports being confiscated and of not being paid in some cases.
The documentary also featured claims that 21,000 Indian, Bangladeshi and Nepalese workers had died in the country since 2017, each working on Saudi’s Vision 2030.
Those allegations have been strongly refuted by country’s National Council for Occupational Safety and Health.
The pioneering Sci-Fi stadium is one of 15 to be built as Saudi Arabia close in on the hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup.
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The official announcement will come from Fifa on December 11, but there is no opposing bid following Australia’s withdrawal.
As such Saudi Arabia will become the second Middle Eastern nation (behind Qatar) to host the biggest sporting spectacle on the planet in 10 years time.
The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, named after the country’s prime minister, crown prince and de facto ruler, will be one of 11 new venues to go alongside four current grounds.
Another futuristic arena is being built in Neom.
The amazing structure will not be reachable by car as it will sit 350m above ground in the as-yet unbuilt city of Neom, known as “The Line.”
It is a vertical garden city without cars, streets or carbon emissions for its residents all in a single, long building.
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Full list of the stadiums with their capacities
Riyadh
- King Salman International Stadium – 92,760
- King Fahad Sports City Stadium – 70,200
- Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium – 46,979
- New Murabba Stadium – 46,010
- Roshn Stadium – 46,000
- Prince Faisal bin Fahad Sports City Stadium – 46,865
- South Riyadh Stadium – 47,060
- King Saud University Stadium – 46,319
Jeddah
- King Abdullah Sports City Stadium – 58,432
- Qiddiya Coast Stadium – 46,096
- Jeddah Central Development Stadium – 45,794
- King Abdullah Economic City Stadium – 45,700
Al Khobar
Abha
- King Khalid University Stadium – 45,428
Neom
