Dammam Sports City Signals Rising Global Sports Ambitions Under Vision 2030 Saudi Arabia

The Geneva meet of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) signalled increasing investments in sports led development projects along with highlighting its goal of vision 2030. Shortly after this declaration, Saudi Arabia announced the creation of a sports city construction named as the Dammam sports city.

Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province is now scheduled to witness the emergence of a sports city to be built in a private led model worth SR1 billion. The announcement came as a follow-up to a major agreement finalised at the Sports Investment Forum in Riyadh.

The formal land allocation agreement has been signed by various dignitaries, including Talal bin Nabeel Al-Maghlouth, CEO of the Sharqia Development Authority; SIF CEO Ibrahim Al-Bakri; Dammam Valley Co. CEO Abdulaziz Al-Mutlaq; and Basim Ibrahim, representing the Ministry of Investment. The Sharqia Development Authority, in collaboration with SIF, has also announced a series of additional sports investments worth SR15 million.

The kingdom has grown its sports investments substantially to aid its vision of emerging as a top host to international events under Vision 2030. Among the top events that have happened in the country, notable mention should be made of LIV Golf tournaments, Formula 1 in Jeddah, Formula E in Diriyah, and high-profile international football matches in recent years. Further, the country is trying to establish its global dominance in the sporting sector through events like the FIFA World Cup in 2034 and the AFC Asian Cup in 2027.