Saudi Arabia: King Abdullah orders construction of 11 stadiums of capacities of 45,000

The King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has ordered the construction of 11 stadiums of capacities of 45,000 each, the Saudi Press Agency announced on 21/6/2014. Construction will begin immediately so that the stadiums can be finished as soon as possible, the agency said.

These stadiums were created with an eye toward the development of the respective provinces: Madinah, Qassim, Eastern Region, Asir, Tabuk, Hail, Northern Borders, Najran, Baha and Jouf.

The stadiums are modelled on the King Abdullah Sports City complex, which was inaugurated on 01/05/2014. This three km² sports complex, 50 km north of Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), includes a football stadium with a capacity of 60,000 and plenty of sports infrastructure (track and field, baseball fields, tennis courts). The project is estimated to cost $560m, or approximately €410m.

King Abdullah Sports City