Sky Stadium: Saudi Arabia’s latest extravagance

The 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia is shaping up to be the most futuristic and ambitious tournament the sport has ever seen. Local media reports reveal that the country’s proposal includes plans for a stadium unlike anything on Earth: one built on top of a skyscraper, rising nearly 1,150 feet into the sky.

Sustainable, spectacular, and sky-high Saudi plans

The so-called Sky Stadium would sit at the heart of NEOM, the massive smart city currently under construction in the country’s northwest desert region. Backed by one of Saudi Arabia’s major petroleum companies, the venue would run entirely on solar and wind power and could seat up to 46,000 fans.

Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and finish by 2032, just in time for the 48-team World Cup. The Sky Stadium would serve as one of several venues hosting matches in what Saudi officials have called a “transformational” project for the kingdom’s sports infrastructure.

In fact, Arab News reported in 2024 that Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid includes plans for 15 new stadiums across the country, each designed to reflect cutting-edge sustainability and architectural innovation.

NEOM: Saudi Arabia’s futuristic vision

NEOM itself is already one of the world’s most ambitious urban developments, envisioned as a car-free, AI-powered megacity stretching across the desert and mountains. One proposed World Cup stadium design would be built into the side of a cliff, accessible only by boat or train arriving directly at The Line, NEOM’s linear urban core.

But the skyscraper concept takes that ambition even further, adding a near-science-fiction twist to the country’s World Cup dream: a soccer stadium literally in the clouds.

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