What Are Riyadh City's Preparations for Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034?

Riyadh is the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one of its most vibrant and prosperous cities, and the largest in terms of area and population, with seven million inhabitants. It is the administrative and financial center of the Kingdom. The city will first host the FIFA World Cup 2034 events. Riyadh Province has over 160 football clubs and over 150 accredited football academies. After the tournament, Riyadh and the football sector will benefit from the availability of fifty-four training facilities, including twenty national team training camps, thirty-two training sites linked to the host stadiums, and two referee training camps. The city is also preparing to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027, welcome international delegations for the World Expo 2030, and host the Asian Games 2034.

Riyadh offers a wide variety of tourist destinations and unique events during the FIFA World Cup 2034 finals, namely:

- Riyadh Season.

- Diriyah Season.

- Jax District, a creative hub for art and music enthusiasts.

- Sports Boulevard Project.

- King Abdullah Financial District.

- New Murabba Project.

- Qiddiya Project.

- King Salman Park.

Riyadh is home to a diverse range of distinguished hotels, luxury restaurants, and rich cultural destinations, reinforcing its position as one of visitors' leading cultural and artistic destinations. The number of hotel units in Riyadh is expected to exceed 127,000 by 2034, including 51,000 five-star hotel units, ensuring a wide range of options to suit all tastes and budgets.

King Salman International Airport in Riyadh City can welcome many travelers arriving for the tournament. The airport's capacity is expected to reach one hundred million passengers annually before 2034, with an increase of 170 percent compared to 2023. Riyadh is also enhancing its public transportation network. The Riyadh Metro, consisting of six lines, is the world's largest network of driverless trains. By 2034, its total capacity will reach 3.6 million passengers, and the Riyadh Metro will be capable of transporting up to fifty thousand passengers per hour. The metro is connected to the airport. It will include a new seventh line to Qiddiya by 2034. Additionally, the Riyadh Metro will significantly expand an integrated public bus network with a daily capacity of nine hundred thousand passengers.

The vast festival arenas in Qiddiya, which can accommodate nearly eighty thousand visitors, will be a distinctive destination for the fans. After finalizing the Qiddiya Project, it will be able to host thirteen music concerts, entertainment events, and festivals annually. Another major venue to host fan festivals will be King Salman Park, which covers sixteen km and is the largest urban park in the world, with a capacity of forty thousand visitors.

- King Salman International Stadium.

- King Fahd Sport City Stadium.

- Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium.

- New Murabba Stadium.

- ROSHN Stadium.

- Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Sport City Stadium.

- South Riyadh Stadium.

- King Saud University Stadium.