DOHA: The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) and the Qatar Football Association (QFA) will unveil the new design of the Khalifa International Stadium, the third proposed host venue of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, at a dinner on the sidelines of this month’s Gulf Cup of Nations in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on November 24.
The presentation will be made in front of the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), H E Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, various heads of GCC football federations, officials and dignitaries from various countries in the region.
Meanwhile, the SC and ASPIRE Zone Foundation — the stadium’s delivery organisation — have also announced the beginning of main contractor works to renovate the Khalifa International Stadium.
The renovation plans include revamping the venue to accommodate 40,000 people and become compliant with FIFA’s stadium requirements to host World Cup group stage, round of 16 and quarter-final matches.
Qatar’s Minister of Youth and Sport, Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser Al Ali, said unveiling the Khalifa International Stadium’s new design in Riyadh demonstrates the role played by sport in uniting people and deepening links between them.
“This stadium, which was founded to host the 1976 Gulf Cup, has always reflected the strong relationship between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The opening ceremony was attended by the then king of Saudi Arabia, H R H Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The unveiling of the new stadium design in Riyadh is another milestone in that relationship and further represents the strong brotherly ties that unite the gulf and the entire region ahead of the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East,” Al Ali said.
Commenting on the announcement, H E Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Thani, President of the QFA, said: “We would like to thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting such a prestigious event, which reflects that the countries and people in the region stand by Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish all the best to our brothers in Saudi Arabia in the organisation of the Gulf Cup of Nations. We are confident players and spectators will witness an excellent tournament.”
The Secretary General of the SC, Hassan Al Thawadi, said: “We are excited to see everything coming together to begin main contractor works on the third proposed host venue equipped to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Every new project brings us one step closer to hosting the first ever FIFA World Cup in the Middle East, and also reflects the size of the effort to fulfill Qatar’s pledge to host a memorable tournament for the region eight years from now.”
Six Construct — a joint venture between Midmac Contracting and a subsidiary of the Belgian Besix Group — is overseeing main contractor works on the stadium. Dar Al Handasah is the design consultant and Projacs is the project manager.
The project, which will include the addition of innovative cooling technology to the stadium, is expected to be completed in 2016.
President of ASPIRE Zone Foundation Hilal Jeham Al Kuwari confirmed that the project to renovate the Khalifa International Stadium, also known as the National Stadium, will strengthen its position as one of the most prominent sports facilities in Qatar and the region.
“Since its inception four decades ago, Khalifa International Stadium has played a prominent role in hosting major sporting events, including Gulf Cups, Asian Cups and the Asian Games. Today, we seek to renovate the Khalifa International Stadium to enter sporting history as a proposed host venue for matches during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We are confident that the renovation project will enable the stadium to continue to host global sports competitions long after 2022.”
Work is currently underway in different stages on five proposed host venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.
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