A LOT Of LED Planned For Inside Of New Saudi Mega-Stadium Outside Riyadh

November 20, 2024 by Dave Haynes

Plans have been unveiled for yet another entertainment-themed mega-project in Saudi Arabia – this one for King Salman Stadium, which would be the largest-capacity stadium in that country and among the largest globally.

While some recent Saudi project plans have a lot of very overt digital components, this one is the opposite in style – though there would undoubtedly be a LOT of digital inside the venue and seating bowl.

The stadium, targeted for completion in late 2029, will serve as the primary headquarters for the Saudi Arabia national football team, as well as hosting other national and international major sporting and entertainment events. The site is in northern Riyadh on King Salman Road, adjacent to King Abdulaziz Park. The area’s masterplan includes a variety of sports facilities, commercial areas and recreational facilities.

The stadium design was developed by Kansas City-based Populous, an architectural design firm somewhat specialized in high profile sports and entertainment venues.

From Populous:

Inspiration for the design is drawn from Saudi Arabia’s mesmerising natural landscape, with the symbolic concept of each venue within the masterplan representing a seed that germinates, cracks the earth and emerges as a dynamic yet seemingly natural intervention. The planting of these ‘seeds’ symbolises Saudi Arabia’s commitment to nurturing and growing sports participation across the country, from the grassroots to the elite level. The main stadium will have a gross seating capacity of more than 92,000, with amenities including a Royal Box, hospitality skyboxes and lounges, 300 VVIP seats, and 2,200 VIP seats. The venue will feature internal screens, gardens and a walking path on its roof with panoramic views of King Abdulaziz Park.

A range of facilities will be incorporated into the wider masterplan development, including commercial facilities, football training fields, fan zones, an aquatics centre with an Olympic-sized swimming pool and an athletics stadium. Additionally, the development will feature an indoor sports hall and community sports park for sports such as volleyball, basketball and padel (editor: sort of like pickleball). A 9-kilometre sports track will connect these amenities to King Abdulaziz Park.

This concept video should give readers a sense of the scale of this place, and the vast amount of LED ribbon and halo-like replay displays in the seating bowl. This will make some LED salesperson’s quota, and then some.

You may be wondering: “Didn’t Populous already show a flashy new design for a stadium outside Riyadh?” And you’d be correct, but that was a stadium half the size, in another area near the city, and intended for multiple uses, including a couple of Saudi pro football teams.

The design of that one, as you can see, is wildly different and VERY digital-forward.