Plans for the $4bn King Abdullah Sports City scheme, headed by oil corporation Saudi Aramco, have been all but cancelled. Masterplans drawn up by Arup including venues designed by MAKE (Aquatics Centre), Grimshaw Architects, Faulkner Browns and David Chipperfield (multi-purpose venue) have been scrapped, leaving a 100,000-seater stadium by Populous standing alone.

It is thought that Arup received the news in a letter three weeks ago direct from Saudi Aramco. The reasoning behind the cancellation is thus far unclear, however structural engineering giant Arup are thought to be considering a significant number of job cuts as a result of the loss in work.