A stunning video has recently been circulating, said to be of the world's first "hanging stadium," which is scheduled to be built in Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 World Cup.
The video has taken social media by storm, although no official source from the kingdom has commented on whether it is the real design of the stadium, and it has garnered over 50 million views, receiving extensive coverage from media around the world.
The video showed a design said to be for the Neom Stadium in Saudi Arabia, announced last year by Saudi Arabia, expected to stand 1000 feet above ground level, accommodating 46,000 spectators, and is one of 15 stadiums planned for the 2034 World Cup, of which only 4 have been built so far.
The Saudis promised "uniquely designed" stadiums when they won, last December, the hosting of the most prominent football event in history, in a controversial move. Therefore, when the opportunity was provided for fans to get a first look at the leading stadium in the clouds, they were amazed by what they saw.
Sky Stadium is a Fabrication
The "Daily Mail" revealed that the stunning video that has been captivating social media users was not created by the kingdom, or the company funding the stadium, at all, and that it was designed by artificial intelligence, in just two minutes two weeks ago, by someone named Liam Howes, 34 years old, while he was resting in his bed at night.
Liam posted the video on his "Hypora Ultraworks" Facebook page earlier this month and regularly posts conceptual video designs before the stadium video gained widespread fame and went global, garnering nearly 350 million views.
Yet, despite this widespread popularity, Liam hasn't made any money because he cannot monetize Facebook content.
"Daily Mail" quoted Liam on Thursday saying, "It was crazy... Two weeks ago, as I browsed my phone before bed, the idea struck me, and I executed it, and it quickly spread around the world... Initially, 13,000 people shared it, and then there was no real containment."
Liam tricked media outlets around the world, saying about it, "I saw all kinds of posts and social media accounts promoting that the video was supposed to be the official stadium for the Saudi skyscraper for the World Cup... I said to myself: I have no idea what's going on here... I had no clue about the Saudi project."
He continued, "Before I knew it, my friends and even my mom called me saying: Isn't this the video in the news the thing you designed?.. It was insane."
How was "Sky Stadium" designed?
Regarding how he produced the clip portraying the stadium, he said, "I own a small media company, and I suddenly decided to learn about artificial intelligence... I consulted an image designer... I was in bed before sleep, trying an idea of building stadiums above skyscrapers, as it’s an idea that would be recognized globally."
He continued, "It only took two or three minutes to set it up, and suddenly people thought it was an official Saudi concept. The video production cost about 35 pence, and I made it on my phone."
It's worth mentioning that Neom Sky Stadium is part of a project in the kingdom called "The Line", a smart city in the northwestern region of Neom expected to be car-free, provided the Empire State Building stands tall.
According to the company's Facebook page, the stadium will accommodate about 50,000 spectators, includes 4 training fields, and provides over two thousand seats for companies and fans. The initial designs posted on the same page last December show a futuristic illuminated stadium within "The Line" area.
World Cup 2034 Stadiums
Eight other stadiums planned for the World Cup 2034 will be located in the Saudi capital Riyadh, one of which is King Salman International Stadium, which will accommodate 92,760 spectators and has not yet been built, where the opening and closing matches will take place.
The other stadiums include Qiddiya Coastal Stadium and Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, which will be built on the roof of a building.
Reports earlier this month suggested that the World Cup in Saudi might take place between November and December when temperatures are much lower than in the summer months.
