ALBAWABA - The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal, announced yesterday that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup.
2034 World Cup in KSA
FIFA announced yesterday that Saudi Arabia won the bid to host the 2034 World Cup. This significant achievement aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which emphasizes diversified economic growth and development.
Notably, multiple sectors in Saudi Arabia, including tourism, sports, construction, and real estate, will experience significant growth and development. The country is expected to receive huge investments and undertake numerous projects in the coming years.
Sports
Saudi Arabia highlighted the importance of its sports sector in recent years led by the vision of the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. The country made significant contracts with football legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In a previous interview with Fox News, the Crown Prince stated: “If sport washing is going to increase my GDP by way of 1%, then I will continue doing sport washing. I don’t care … I’m aiming for another 1.5%. Call it whatever you want, we’re going to get that 1.5%.”
🇸🇦2034 🇸🇦#كاس_العالم_2034 | #أهلاً_بالعالم pic.twitter.com/fyNLwCeYKW
— وزارة الرياضة (@mosgovsa) December 11, 2024
It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia hosted around 50 international sporting events, attracted more than 2.5 million visitors, and created more than 70,000 jobs in 2023.
Upon hosting the 2023 World Cup, the country plans to build 11 new stadiums and renovate 4 existing ones.
Construction and real estate
Saudi Arabia did not announce the final budget for infrastructure development for the 2034 World Cup. However, the country declared building 11 new stadiums, renovating 4 existing stadiums, and adding about 185,000 new hotel rooms to support its tourism sector.
Undoubtedly, the 2034 World Cup will accelerate and develop the construction and real estate sectors in Saudi Arabia, with diverse projects such as new stadiums, upgraded metro systems, and expanded airport capacity.
It is worth noting that the country plans to expand King Salman International Airport to accommodate approximately 120 million passengers annually by 2030. According to experts, the new airport is expected to contribute with an additional $7.18 billion annually to the Kingdom's GDP from non-oil sources.
Tourism
According to Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia plans to attract 80 million domestic tourists and 70 million international tourists annually.
The 2034 World Cup will undoubtedly position Saudi Arabia as a global business hub, offering endless opportunities for collaboration, partnerships, and economic development.
