Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Friendly Match at Aramco Stadium Opening

The Saudi and Qatari national teams will face each other in an international friendly match on December 27 next year, marking the opening of Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar, one of the venues designated to host matches for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia. The Qatar Football Association announced via its official account on the X platform that the match is part of both teams’ preparations for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5 next year. Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar is among the most prominent modern sports projects in Saudi Arabia, with a capacity of approximately 47,000 spectators and a total area of around 800,000 square meters. It is one of the facilities designated to host the 2034 World Cup. According to Saudi Arabia’s bid dossier, the stadium will host group stage matches, as well as Round of 32 and Round of 16 fixtures of the 2034 World Cup, in addition to matches of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which will be held across three Saudi cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar. The stadium features an architectural design inspired by the water swirls formed along the coasts of the Arabian Gulf, and incorporates integrated cooling systems and modern technologies.