King Fahd Sports City (Arabic: مدينة الملك فهد الرياضية), also nicknamed "The Tent" (ملعب الخيمةMala'ab al-Khaymah) or "Pearl of Stadiums" (درة الملاعبDurrat 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 92,000 seats by 2026.[2]
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.
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 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 also hosted all the three matches of 2021–22 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]
^ abAFC 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.