New lower tier to expand capacity at 30-year-old ground to 70,000 ahead of 2034 World Cup
Populous has unveiled new pictures showing how its renovation of Saudi Arabia’s King Fahad Sports City Stadium will look when it hosts games for the 2034 World Cup.
The 58,000-seat ground was the first large-scale stadium on the Arabian peninsula when it opened in 1987 and was designed by British practice Ian Fraser, John Roberts, Michael K.C. Cheah and Partners.
The stadium is now undergoing a major refurbishment set to expand its capacity to more than 70,000 seats and upgrade or replace outdated features.
The land around the stadium is also being extensively redeveloped with the plans set to include a new football academy, sports centre, amphitheatre, fan zone, five-a-side pitches and commercial areas.
Populous’ expansion of the ground, designed for the Saudi Ministry of Sports, includes digging 10m into the ground to create a new lower tier and replacing the stadium’s famous roof canopy, which has reached the end of its design life.
The structural masts and cables used to support the old roof will be repurposed as rigging for new photovoltaic shading structures over the site’s parking areas, while earth excavated to form the new lower tier will be used for landscaping around the wider stadium precinct.
The distinctive hexagonal cladding that once wrapped the stadium’s ramps and podium will also be repurposed for the new landscape terraces within the park and used to clad a new on-site energy centre and substation.
The completed stadium is expected to serve as the centrepiece of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
Other Populous-designed sports projects in Saudi Arabia include the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya City, King Salman Stadium in Riyadh and Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar, all of which are set to host matches during the 2034 World Cup.
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