Two years ago, fans who stepped into the golden Lusail Stadium on the outskirts of Doha witnesed a truly historic moment when Saudi player Salem Al-Dawsari scored a winning goal against Argentina. That feeling of euphoria is recalled today when Saudi Arabia was officially named FIFA World Cup 2034 host, making it the second Middle Eastern country to stage the prestigious event following Qatar's hostmanship in 2022.
The 2034 edition will host the first-ever 48-team tournament in a single host country and matches will be held across 15 stadiums in five host cities in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha, and Neom. Once built, Riyadh’s King Salman Stadium, with a 92,000-spectator capacity, will be the venue for the opening and final matches.
The news was met with great fanfare across the country as Saudi Arabia adds yet another crowning achievement to its long list of accomplishments in the past few years.
The global media frenzy that followed Saudi Arabia's remarkable victory over Argentina during the Qatar World Cup introduced Saudi football to a worldwide audience and showcased its evolving identity on a global stage. Through the lens of the world's most popular sport, youth from all over the world discovered the transformative changes underway in the Kingdom.
An unparalleled platform for global recognition, the FIFA World Cup has countries duking it out for the chance to host the prestigious event. This time around, Saudi Arabia stood as the sole candidate, having received the highest-ever marks in the history of the World Cup's bidding process.
Exceptional opportunity
But Saudi Arabia need not cultivate a football fanbase from scratch, as it already has a very vibrant and competitive football scene, replete with enthusiastic fans. And recruiting football legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar to the Saudi Pro League, has only made its football industry more dynamic. Having invested around $1bn, according to figures published by Reuters, Saudi Arabia has been able to reel in some of Europe's top players.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia won the bid to host the AFC Asian Cup in 2027 after having secured it three times before. But this will be the first time it will take place on Saudi soil, showcasing its matches across eight planned state-of-the-art stadiums.
By hosting the 2034 World Cup, Saudi Arabia will also open doors to social and infrastructure development, aligning with the aspirations of the majority of the population: young people. It promises to unlock opportunities for growth that transcend the sporting realm, positioning Saudi Arabia as a global leader in innovation and cultural exchange.
According to FIFA statistics, five billion people engaged in the 2022 World Cup, which helped market Qatar as a tourism and leisure destination.
For its part, Saudi Arabia is expecting a major boost in tourism following its winning bid. As highlighted in the organising committee's submission to FIFA, by 2023, the Kingdom had welcomed 109 million tourists, which helped generate 300,000 new jobs since 2019. With over a month of football competitions, World Cup 2034 is set to attract even more visitors than the one million fans who travelled to Qatar in 2022.
Economic driver
Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup yielded $17bn in revenue, and the 2027 World Cup is expected to generate up to $11bn in revenue. And while attractive returns will surely be welcomed, it is not Saudi Arabia's top reason for wanting to host the event.
Instead, it wants to leverage the event to nurture the country's sports sector, with the goal of turning it into an industry that will contribute 2.5% to the national GDP. This aligns with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the country's economy and reduce its dependence on oil.
