SONARGES Source to FesNews: Morocco Allocates $152 Million to Transform Grand Stade de Fez into a Wi-Fi 7 Smart Arena Within 18 Months

FEZ (FesNews Media) — An informed source within the management of the National Company for the Construction and Management of Sports Facilities (SONARGES) has exclusively revealed to FesNews Media the comprehensive financial and technological blueprint for the redevelopment of the Grand Stade de Fez, backed by a landmark investment of nearly 1.52 billion Moroccan dirhams (approximately $152 million). Designed to elevate the spiritual capital’s flagship venue to elite 2030 FIFA World Cup standards, the project will expand the stadium’s capacity to nearly 55,800 seats under a full 360-degree architectural canopy while bringing the stands directly adjacent to the pitch.

According to the same SONARGES source, the strategic overhaul is being executed in joint coordination with the National Agency for Public Facilities (ANEP), lead architects Mohammed Fikri Benabdallah and Rachid Benbrahim El Andaloussi, and specialized engineering consultancies, blending authentic Fez architectural heritage with the highest FIFA 2030 technical standards.

The source explained to FesNews Media that this massive budget is structured across two strategic technical phases: the first covers high-voltage electrical systems, low-current smart networks, and audiovisual broadcasting with an allocation of over 1.291 billion MAD and a strict execution duration of 18 months; the second covers smart HVAC, plumbing, fire safety, and athlete recovery systems at 228.18 million MAD with a completion timeline of 15 months, backed by a mandatory two-year comprehensive technical warranty upon delivery.

Based on the exclusive details obtained by FesNews Media from within SONARGES management, the Grand Stade de Fez will be outfitted with FIFA Standard A LED sports floodlighting delivering over 3,600 Lux horizontally and 1,500 Lux vertically across all four camera planes, engineered for flicker-free UHD/4K/8K and Super Slow-Motion international broadcasting, alongside 500W RGB Laser Sky Projectors (16.5 million Lux) capable of staging interactive light shows across the Fez sky before matches and during half-time.

Inside the stadium bowl, the project includes the installation of four giant 16:9 LED scoreboards (8,000 cd/m²), a continuous 360-degree LED ribbon board wrapping the seating tiers, a 130 dB SPL Line Array acoustic system with automated crowd-noise adaptation, an international press conference auditorium supporting 64-channel simultaneous interpretation, and full broadcast infrastructure for Spidercams, VAR hubs, and six television studios.

In an unprecedented technological leap for African stadiums, our SONARGES source confirmed that the venue will be fully covered by tri-band Wi-Fi 7 alongside 5G connectivity to guarantee ultra-fast bandwidth for over 55,000 spectators simultaneously, powered by two independent TIER-3 Data Centers with 25 Tbps switching capacity and advanced cybersecurity protection.

For crowd safety and smart access control, up to 1,300 high-definition AI cameras will be deployed—including 26 MP telephoto tribune sensors, 99%-accuracy 2D/3D facial recognition at entry gates, Moroccan and European ANPR license-plate readers, and autonomous security drones equipped with thermal imaging, 160x hybrid zoom, and 24/7 automated battery-swapping stations—paired with high-speed electronic turnstiles supporting NFC tickets via Apple Wallet and Google Pay.

The official source added that team changing rooms will be equipped with 8-person Cryotherapy recovery ice baths (3°C–10°C) featuring ozone and UV sterilization to accelerate post-match player recovery, alongside luxury smart fixtures in VVIP-Plus lounges, double-flux climate control, 2,500 kVA backup generators, and electric vehicle charging stations across the stadium parking areas.

At the local socio-economic level, the source emphasized that project management has required participating contractors to recruit at least 20% of the workforce directly from local residents of Fez while prioritizing Moroccan-manufactured materials and equipment, turning the Grand Stade de Fez upgrade into a direct economic and employment engine for the Fez-Meknes region.