Located in Morocco’s capital, Rabat, the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium is a 68,700-seat venue by Populous that was delivered in just 24 months and combines a parametric LED facade with a fan-centric bowl.

The stadium’s shimmering, golden facade is inspired by Rabat’s iconic palm-lined boulevards and Morocco’s artisanal heritage. Composed of 19,200 aluminum triangles, each uniquely sized, and wrapped in 70 km of LED strips, the shell transforms at sunset into a glowing spectacle. Its placement along the city’s eucalyptus-lined green belt symbolically connects the stadium to Rabat’s urban and natural landscape.

all images courtesy of Populous

The global architecture and design team at Populous has crafted the bowl of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium to maximize crowd engagement. The dual-tiered south ‘Kop’ stand, with a cantilevered upper tier hovering eight meters above the lower, accommodates 23,000 fans in one of the continent’s largest continuous supporter sections. This arrangement turns crowd energy into a palpable sonic wall, linking fans directly to the pitch. The West and East Stands bring together hospitality and elite seating with skyboxes that form a U-shaped ring around the field.

Populous’ design strategy was highly collaborative, leveraging teams across multiple offices to deliver detailed design documentation compatible with local construction processes led by Société Générale des Travaux du Maroc. This integration enabled the rapid 24-month design-and-build timeline — a feat rarely achieved for a stadium of this scale.

With its parametric facade, acoustically tuned bowl, and public connectivity, the stadium is designed to meet FIFA specifications and is ready to host matches up to the semi-finals of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium will also accommodate the opening, semi-finals, and final of AFCON 2025. Beyond football, it serves as a civic space, with the forecourt being connected to a new railway station and urban infrastructure, embedding the stadium into Rabat’s wider urban fabric and encouraging public transport access.

a 68,700-seat venue by Populous

the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium was delivered in just 24 months

a parametric LED facade envelops the structure

inspired by Rabat’s iconic palm-lined boulevards

each triangle is uniquely sized and wrapped in LED strips

the bowl is crafted to maximize crowd engagement