King Fahd International Stadium

King Fahd International Stadium
	King Fahd International Stadium
	درة الملاعب
	; King Fahd International Stadium
Full name	King Fahd International Stadium
Location	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Broke ground	2 December 1982
Opened	1987
Tenants	Al Hilal SFC (1987–2018, 2020–present); Al-Shabab (1987–present); Al-Nassr (1987–2020)
Capacity	68,752
Surface	Grass

The King Fahd Stadium, also nicknamed "Pearl of Stadiums" or simply "the Pearl", 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. 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.

In September 2017, 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.

The stadium has been included in the FIFA video games since FIFA 13, when the Saudi Professional League began being featured in the game. A modified version of the stadium with two tiers all around was featured in the Pro Evolution Soccer series during the PlayStation 2 era under the name ‘Nakhon Ratchasima’.

The cost of construction was about 1.912 billion Saudi riyals or $510 million. 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.