The Arena Stadium is a planned future modern sports venue to be built in Jerusalem's southwest Malha neighborhood east of Teddy Stadium. According to Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, the new arena will be the largest indoor space in Jerusalem able to host professional sports, world-class concerts, international conferences and cultural events.

In 2004, Jerusalem mayor, Ehud Olmert

Ehud Olmert

Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....

 declared a new basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 arena would be built within a year. In December 2005, the cornerstone

Cornerstone

The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...

 was laid. In July 2009, the city hall publicized tenders for building the arena's infrastructure.

The building project is supposed to last three years and cost 240 million NIS, 200 million NIS of which to be covered by Mifal HaPayis

Mifal HaPayis

Mifal HaPayis is the national lottery of Israel. Gambling is illegal in Israel. The only body licensed to provide betting services is Mifal Hapayis. -History:...

, and the rest by the Sports Betting Council and the Jerusalem municipality. It will include 10,000 seats on 40,000 square metres.

Though the arena will be the new home of Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. and a major sports centre, including facilities such as an Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

 courts and possibly even an ice rink

Ice rink

An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...

, it is planned on being a multi-purpose site and house an athletes' residence, and provide facilities for cultural and business events.

It is slated to open in 2012.