- September 22, 2025
- Posted by: SportsV
- Categories: Featured Articles, Features, Home News, Industry News, News, Press Releases
After being officially inaugurated by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan on 4 September 2025, the Kingdom of Morocco opened its new national stadium, the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, on Friday, 5 September, with the Moroccan national team defeating Niger 5–0 in a CAF qualifying match.
Designed by Populous, the global leader in sports and entertainment design, the 68,700-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium features a unique parametrically-designed LED Façade. The design of the bowl places a premium on acoustics and atmosphere to amplify the passion of Morocco’s fans, with stands placed as close to the pitch as possible, amplifying crowd energy into a sonic wall.
Under the direction of the National Agency for Public Facilities of Morocco, the stadium was designed in accordance with FIFA specifications to host matches up to the semi-finals of the 2030 FIFA World Cup™. It incorporates state-of-the-art media and broadcast facilities, a 360° wind-shielding roof, and expanded VVIP, VIP and hospitality areas.
The stadium will host Morocco’s national team as they play at the pinnacle of world football, while inspiring the youth of Morocco across the Kingdom. It has been delivered in just 24 months of combined design and construction, with design teams across multiple Populous offices ensuring continuous coordination with all stakeholders and adaptability working with Moroccan construction processes led by contractor SGTM.
Populous Senior Principal, François Clement, said:
“The Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium is the new jewel of international football and one of the great stadiums, not just in Morocco, but across all Africa and beyond. It delivers a legacy impact of world-class amenities, accessibility improvements for local and international fans, enhanced fan experience and increased revenues.
“Leveraging our parametric design expertise across multiple Populous teams enabled us to create our most ambitious stadium façade to date for this incredible stadium.”
Stadium Façade
The façade of the stadium uses parametric design that draws inspiration both from the interlaced palm leaves lining Rabat’s great boulevards, and from Morocco’s great artisanal tradition, the ‘Point de Fez’ embroidery and traditional ornamentation.
Its golden, shimmering profile rises from the eucalyptus forest of the city’s green belt – the southern lungs of Rabat – representing Morocco’s spirit of innovation and technological strength as it opens toward the Atlantic.
Simon Borg, Principal – Creative Director, Populous EMEA, will be speaking at the 2025 SVB LIVE Conference being held at Villa Park on October 6th and 7th. An Opening Night Icebreaker will kick things off on the evening of October 5th at bp pulse LIVE, which recently completed a transformation of its Premium Spaces, delivered by Populous’ Jump Studios and Dawnvale.
Covering 100,000m², the façade has been created through parametric design is composed of 19,200 champagne-coloured aluminium triangles, each with their own unique dimensions.
At sunset, the stadium creates a spectacular light show as the façade glows with the help of a 70km video fixture spiralling around the structure, providing a striking media façade.
Lamalif Group was responsible for the lighting design that magnifies the stadium, combining technological innovation and refined aesthetics to make Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium a radiant symbol of contemporary Morocco.
Stadium Bowl
The bowl is the beating heart of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, designed to connect Moroccan supporters’ immense passion with the action on the pitch.
A vast open concourse to the south leads into a steep, two-tiered 23,000 capacity ‘Kop’ stand, one of the largest fan sections in Africa and Europe. The two superposed tiers, where the upper tier cantilevers eight metres above the lower tier, create a breathtaking impression of floating over the field, directly overlooking the goal.
This dual-tiered south Kop serves as a ‘loudspeaker’ for supporter passion, facing the pitch, the players, and the other stands.
The West Stand hosts VVIP, VIP, skyboxes, and lounges, centred on the Royal Box, while the East Stand offers a versatile mix of lounges and skyboxes over three tiers.
Skyboxes on Level 2 form a U-shaped ring around the pitch, offering optimised views both of the pitch and of the vibrant South KOP stand.
The overall design ensures an electric stadium atmosphere, enhancing the fan experience at every level.
Construction timeline
The first foundations of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium were laid in September 2023, leaving only 24 months for the design and construction of a 68,700-seat stadium.
This speed was made possible thanks to the adaptability and responsiveness of Populous as part of its integration into the Moroccan construction process, led by the construction company Société Générale des Travaux du Maroc.
The simultaneous coordination of design teams located across several Populous offices ensured the delivery of all the information required for the completion of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium within its 24-month Design / Build period.
Public Space
The forecourt of the Moulay Abdellah Stadium is a new public space for Rabat, linked by a new railway station encouraging public transport to the stadium, and infrastructure connecting it to Hay Riad (east) and Akkari (west).
Factsheet
· The original stadium was built in 1983 for the Mediterranean Games and has now been fully redeveloped (2023–2025) for AFCON 2025.
· As Morocco’s flagship sports venue, it will enable the country to host major international events that in turn drive economic and social development.
· It will host the opening match, semi-finals, and final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, starting 21 December 2025.
· Morocco will also host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the next four years, starting October 2025.
· Morocco—together with Spain and Portugal—will co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.
· Populous, in association with Oualalou + Choi, is also the architect of the Grand Stade Hassan II in Benslimane, which at 115,000 seats will be the largest football stadium in the world, with the ability to host the opening or final matches of the 2030 tournament.
Project Team
Delegated Project Manager: National Agency of Public Equipment (ANEP)
Construction Contractor: Société Générale des Travaux du Maroc (SGTM)
Lead Architect: Populous
Executive Architect: Urban Architecture Studio
Interior Architect: Yame Architecture Studio
Structural Engineering Office: Grid
Technical Engineering Office: Cegelec-Vinci
Stadium lighting: Lamalif Group
About Populous
Populous is a global architecture and design practice specialising in the design of sports and entertainment venues. The firm’s portfolio includes Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley Stadium in the UK, along with stadium-anchored masterplans such as Casablanca Stadium in Morocco – set to become the largest football stadium in the world – and Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.
Over the last 40 years, the practice has designed more than 3,500 projects worth over $60 billion across emerging and established markets. Populous’ comprehensive services include architecture, interior design, event planning and overlay, brand activation, wayfinding, urban design, food & beverage strategy, landscape architecture and sustainable design consulting. Populous has over 1,500 staff and 31 offices on four continents, with regional centres in London, Kansas City and Brisbane.
Learn more: Populous
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