King Fahd Sports City (Arabic: مدينة الملك فهد الرياضية), also nicknamed "The Tent" (ملعب الخيمة Mala'ab al-Khaymah) or "Pearl of Stadiums" (درة الملاعب Durrat al-Mala'eb), is a multi-purpose stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The stadium, which seated 58,398 spectators,[1] is currently closed for reconstruction that will expand it to approximately 70,200 seats by 2026.[2]
A-Khaymah Stadium | |
 | |
| Former names | King Fahd International Stadium (1982–2023) |
|---|---|
| Location | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Owner | Ministry of Sport |
| Capacity | 58,398[1] (to be expanded to 70,200) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2 December 1982 |
| Opened | 1987 |
| Renovated | 2023–2026, 2027–2034 |
| Closed | 2 December 2023 |
| Architect | Ian Fraser, John Roberts, Michael K.C. Cheah and Partners |
| Tenants | |
| Al-Hilal (1987–2018, 2020–2023) Al-Shabab (1987–2023) Al-Nassr (1987–2020) Saudi Arabia (Selected matches) | |
Overview
editThe stadium was built in 1987, with Majed Abdullah scoring the first goal there.[3] It hosted matches of the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship, including the final.
In September 2017, as part of Saudi Vision 2030, there was a celebration of the 87th anniversary of the foundation of Saudi Arabia with concerts and performances. For the first time, women were allowed into the stadium.[4]
The stadium has been included in the FIFA series of video games since the 2013 edition, when the Saudi Pro League began featuring in the game, while a modified version with two tiers all around was featured in the Pro Evolution Soccer series during the PlayStation 2 era under the name "Nakhon Ratchasima", due to its resemblance (or lack thereof) to the 80th Birthday Stadium that hosted the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand.
The cost of construction was about 1.912 billion Saudi riyals or $510 million.[3] The stadium's roof covers an area of 47,000 square feet and held up by 24 columns arranged in a 247-metre diameter circle, creating an umbrella effect that shades spectators from the hot desert sun. A special pavilion for members of the royal family is also included.
Events
editThe stadium's first major musical event was holding a concert by BTS, which was their first concert in the Middle East, as part of their Love Yourself: Speak Yourself World Tour on 11 October 2019. This made the band the first international act to perform in the stadium. They played to an audience of 31,899 people.
The stadium hosted WWE's event Crown Jewel on 31 October 2019.[5]
The stadium also hosted all the three matches of the 2022 Supercopa de España, which was won by Real Madrid.[6] The semi-final between Barcelona and Real Madrid was the first official Clásico to be held in a stadium outside of Spain.
On 28 October 2022, David Guetta performed during the opening ceremony of Saudi Games 2022.[7]
On 15 January 2023, the 2023 Supercopa de España final was hosted in the stadium with Barcelona winning the cup.[8] Three days later, the stadium hosted the 2022 Supercoppa Italiana between AC Milan and Inter Milan.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b AFC Asian Cup 2027 Bid Book: Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Sport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ https://www.meed.com/saudi-arabia-prepares-to-tender-sports-stadiums.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b "King Fahd International Stadium". StadiumDB. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- ^ "Women allowed into stadium as Saudi Arabia promotes national pride, part of reform push". 23 September 2017.
- ^ "THE NEXT WWE EVENT IN SAUDI ARABIA WILL TAKE PLACE.... | PWInsider.com". www.pwinsider.com. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ "Athletic Club 0-2 Real Madrid - Goals and highlights - Supercopa 21/22". Marca. 16 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ "Saudi Games 2022 Opening Ceremony | Saudi Games 2022". Saudi Games. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "Barcelona secure 3-1 victory over Madrid to win Spanish Super Cup". France 24. 15 January 2023.
- ^ "Super Cup clash between Milan giants brings Italian football renaissance to Riyadh". Arab News. 18 January 2023.