Saudi Arabia reveal 92,000-seater stadium 'masterplan' as Newcastle United await St James' Park green light

The King Salman Stadium will be based in Riyadh and have a capacity of more than 92,000. The stadium has been designed by architectural firm Populous, who designed Tottenham Hotspur’s Stadium and whom Newcastle United have consulted regarding the future of St James’ Park.

Images have been released by Populous show a stadium design inspired by ‘Saudi Arabia’s mesmerising natural landscape’.

The stadium will be home to the Saudi Arabia national football team and is due for completion in late 2029. It is a proposed venue for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. The King Salman Stadium would host the tournament’s opening match and final.

It will be a multi-use venue with a variety of sports facilities, commercial areas and recreational facilities. Part of its 92,000-plus capacity will be 300 ‘VVIP seats’ and 2,200 VIP seats with hospitality skyboxes and lounges.

The full ‘masterplan’ involving the stadium’s surrounding area includes an athletic training camp, training pitches, a community sports park, an aquatics centre and multi-purpose sports halls.

Saudi Arabia’s plans have attracted the attention of Newcastle supporters on social media, who are eagerly anticipating an update regarding the future of St James’ Park. Following a feasibility study and a period of consultation, the club are set to reveal the stadium’s next steps in early 2025. An expansion of St James’ Park or a complete rebuild on an alternative site have both been discussed.

Newcastle’s chief operations officer Brad Miller has described the next step regarding the stadium as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ that the club wants to get right. The Magpies are majority-owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund and have ambitions to create a ‘best-in-class’ stadium in Newcastle city centre.

But the club face numerous obstacles when it comes to expanding St James’ Park or building a new stadium nearby. The listed buildings on Leazes Terrace, the Metro Station behind the Gallowgate Stand on Strawberry Place and the Leazes Conservation Area impact the club’s ability to expand from various angles.

But a feasibility study and a lengthy spell of consultation with experts will show the club what is possible as a decision will now be made over what the next step will be.