Saudi Arabia eyes world’s first ‘sky stadium’ within futuristic NEOM city: Reports
Riyadh: Social media has been abuzz with reports that Saudi Arabia is planning to build the world’s first “sky stadium” — a football arena suspended 350 metres above the desert within its futuristic NEOM megacity project.
According to reports circulating online, the proposed NEOM Sky Stadium will seat around 46,000 spectators, be powered by solar and wind energy, and could host matches during the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which Saudi Arabia is set to host. Construction is reportedly expected to begin in 2027 and finish by 2032, in line with the country’s preparations for the expanded 48-team tournament.
There's been no mention of the "sky stadium" in legacy Saudi media, as reported by Gulf News on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, several online reports citing Construction Review, claim that the NEOM Sky Stadium will be integrated into The Line, the linear smart city under the NEOM project. The magazine also claimed that the NEOM Sky stadium will be the "world’s first sky stadium” for the 2034 World Cup glory.
"The stadium is suspended at an astonishing 350 meters (1,150 feet) above the desert floor within the futuristic NEOM city of The Line", the magazine added.
An aerial projection of how the stadium would look like has gone viral on social media.
https://twitter.com/DeadlineDayLive/status/1982894966352556302
FIFA has reportedly given preliminary endorsement to the Sky Stadium project, recognising its potential to establish new benchmarks for environmentally friendly sports venues. The stadium’s proposed location, near NEOM’s Health and Well-Being District and University zone, is envisioned as a hub for sports and recreation.
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Man sets fire to gas cylinder on truck in Kerala's Kottayam, held
Kottayam(Kerala) (PTI): A 33-year-old man climbed onto a parked truck carrying cooking gas cylinders and set fire to one of them near Thalayolaparambu in the small hours of Saturday, police said.
The incident occurred around 12.30 am, they said.
The fire and rescue personnel soon arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire, averting a major disaster.
According to police, the man is suspected to be under mental distress as he claimed that he was walking from Ernakulam to his home in Marangattupilly here when he saw the truck on the roadside.
An FIR under sections 329(3)(criminal trespass),324(2)(mischief),326(f)(mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was lodged against him.
Police said that the man was formally arrested, but will be released on station bail as the offences he is accused of are bailable.
"His family is here at the station and he will be released to them," the officer said.
In the FIR, police have said that the man opened the seal of one of the gas cylinders and set fire to it with the knowledge that his act was dangerous to those living in the area.
According to the company transporting the cooking gas cylinders, it suffered a loss of Rs 2,300 in the incident.
