 "A look at Saudi Arabia's proposed Sky Stadium doing rounds on social media. Image: X")
There are reports claiming that Saudi Arabia is building the world’s first ‘sky stadium’ – a football arena which will be constructed at the top of a skyscraper in NEOM. If reports are to be believed, it will be a part of the Kingdom’s preparations for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The stadium, described as the world’s inaugural ‘sky arena’, will supposedly seat around 46,000 spectators and will be powered entirely by renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.
However, the truth is a mix of fact and fiction. The viral clip that shows a stadium perched on a skyscraper is not an official design. It’s a computer-generated concept that was never released by Saudi authorities or FIFA.
What’s actually planned
Saudi Arabia is building a stadium in NEOM that will stand around 350 meters high, but not on a skyscraper as shown in the viral images. The futuristic NEOM Stadium is said to be integrated into The Line, the country’s ambitious linear city project.
According to Saudi Arabia’s official 2034 FIFA World Cup bid documents, the $1 billion NEOM Stadium is indeed listed among the 15 venues being built or renovated for the tournament. The real design will see the stadium built within the structure of The Line.
As per ESPN, the construction of the planned NEOM stadium is expected to begin in 2027 and finish by 2032, just two years before the 2034 FIFA World Cup kicks off.
Viral video spreading fake news
The viral video circulating online was not created or shared by any official Saudi agency. It’s a digitally produced concept that went viral after being shared widely on X and other platforms.
Indian business tycoon Sanjiv Goenka, who is the owner of the Indian Premier League club Lucknow Super Giants and the Indian Super League side Mohun Bagan Super Giants, also shared a post about the viral Sky Stadium on X.