King Fahd International Stadium
درة الملاعب | |
| File:استاد الملك فهد الدولي King Fahd International Stadium (66723825).jpeg | |
| Location | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 68,752 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2 December 1982 |
| Opened | 1987 |
| Architect | Ian Fraser, John Roberts & Partners |
| Tenants | |
| Al-Shabab (1987–present) Al-Nassr (1987–present) | |
The King Fahd International Stadium (Template:Lang-ar), also nicknamed "Pearl of Stadiums" (درة الملاعب Durrat al-Mala'eb) or simply "the Pearl" (الدرة Addurra), is a multi-purpose stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and it also has athletics facilities.
Overview
The stadium was built in 1987 with capacity over 67,000 seats.[1] It measures 116 yards by 74 yards. It also has one of the largest stadium roofs in the world. It was a venue for matches of the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1989, including the final match.
As part of Saudi Vision 2030, there was a celebration of the 87th anniversary of the Saudi founding with concerts and performances, with women for the first time being allowed into the stadium.[2]
The stadium is included in the FIFA football games since FIFA 13, when the Saudi Professional League started being featured in the game.
The cost of construction was about 1.912 billion Saudi riyals or $510 million.[1] The stadium's roof shades over 67,000 seats and covers an area of 47,000 square feet. The 24 columns are arranged in a circle with a 247-metre diameter. The huge umbrella keeps the sun off the seats and concourse slabs, providing shade and comfort in the hot desert climate. The first goal in an official game was scored by Majed Abdullah.
As a personal touch to the stadium, a royal balcony was constructed.
The architect was Michael KC Cheah.
Events
The 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 October 11, 2019. This made the band the first international act to perform in the stadium. This was the first event to sell out the stadium since its construction, with more than 60,000 seats sold.[3][4]
The stadium also hosted WWE's event Crown Jewel on October 31, 2019.[5]
See also
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Data citation needed". Scientific Data. 6 (1). 10 April 2019. doi:10.1038/s41597-019-0026-5. ISSN 2052-4463.
- ^ "TOUR | BTS | Big Hit Entertainment". ibighit.com. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- ^ "THE NEXT WWE EVENT IN SAUDI ARABIA WILL TAKE PLACE.... | PWInsider.com". www.pwinsider.com. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
External links
24°47′17.54″N 46°50′21.25″E / 24.7882056°N 46.8392361°E
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- 1987 establishments in Saudi Arabia
- Football venues in Saudi Arabia
- Buildings and structures in Riyadh
- Sports venues in Saudi Arabia
- Athletics (track and field) venues in Saudi Arabia
- National stadiums
- Multi-purpose stadiums in Saudi Arabia
- 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup stadiums
- 1992 King Fahd Cup
- 1995 King Fahd Cup
- Sport in Riyadh
- Middle Eastern sports venue stubs
- Saudi Arabian sport stubs
- Saudi Arabian building and structure stubs