The truth about the "unique" stadium on a skyscraper in Saudi Arabia

The video titled “ the world’s first skyscraper stadium” has gone viral online with over 50 million views. Notably, many of the world’s leading newspapers have also published the above information with admiration.

The video describes the design of the Neom Sky Stadium, which is expected to be 300m high, with a capacity of 46,000 seats and one of 15 stadiums for the 2034 World Cup in the Middle East (of which only 4 have been built). Saudi Arabia once promised to create “unique stadiums” when it was awarded the right to host this prestigious tournament in December 2024. Therefore, when the video of the “stadium in the sky” appeared, global fans were immediately attracted.

The truth about the

The image of the stadium design on the skyscraper is just a product of AI (Photo cut from video).

However, the video that made the world admire did not come from the 2034 World Cup organizing committee of Saudi Arabia, but was a product of AI (artificial intelligence) created by Liam Hawes, 34 years old, living in East Sussex (UK), in just two minutes, right before going to bed.

Hawes posted the video to the Hypora Ultraworks Facebook page and within hours it had gone viral. The account, which was created in early October and features videos of futuristic design concepts, has been viewed nearly 350 million times.

Liam Hawes told Daily Mail Sport: “It was crazy. I just got the idea when I was scrolling through my phone before bed. I made the video in a few minutes and the next morning it was all over the world. It got about 13,000 shares at first and then it just spiraled out of control.”

He admitted he was surprised when major news agencies around the world also believed it was the real design for Saudi Arabia. Liam Hawen: “I saw a bunch of news sites and social media accounts saying it was the official stadium for the World Cup. I had no idea what was going on. My friends and my mum were calling me asking, ‘Is your video on TV?’ It was unbelievable.”

Hawes, who runs a small media company and is teaching himself AI, said the video, which he created on his phone using an AI image design tool, took less than three minutes and cost about 35 pence (about 10,000 VND).

“I just tested the idea of a stadium on a skyscraper, thinking it would attract global attention. I didn’t expect people to think it was real,” Liam Hawen said.

Although the video is fictional, the plan to build a skyscraper stadium in Saudi Arabia is completely real.

Neom Sky Stadium is part of “The Line,” a futuristic smart city in northwest Neom. The area is designed to be car-free, stretching as far as the Empire State Building is tall. According to the project announcement, the stadium will have a capacity of nearly 50,000 people, including four training areas and more than 2,000 VIP seats.

The truth about the

Saudi Arabia also has the idea of building a stadium on a skyscraper called Neom Sky but has not released the design. This project is expected to be completed in 2032 (photo: Neom).

In addition, eight other venues for the 2034 World Cup will be located in the capital Riyadh, including the 92,760-seat King Salman International Stadium, which is expected to host the opening match and the final. Other venues such as Qiddiya Coast Stadium and Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium are also being designed in a “rooftop” style.

Saudi Arabia will be the second Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, after Qatar in 2022, the first tournament in history to be held in winter due to the harsh climate. According to FIFA, the 2034 World Cup will also likely take place in November-December, a much cooler time than summer.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino urged fans to be more “open-minded” to the idea: “Even in Europe, many places are too hot to play in July. Perhaps we should reconsider the global competition schedule to ensure the best conditions for players.

FIFA has now finalised the international competition calendar until 2030, with the next two World Cups taking place in the summer.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/su-that-ve-svd-doc-nhat-vo-nhi-tren-toa-nha-choc-troi-o-saudi-arabia-20251031113608497.htm