DOHA: Qatar has begun construction work at the site where the 2022 World Cup final will be played, tournament officials said yesterday.
Preparatory work, including the stationing of site offices and five kilometres of hoarding, have gone up at the site in Lusail, north of the capital, Doha.
As well as the final, the opening game of the 2022 tournament will also be staged at the 80,000-seater Lusail Stadium.
Mubarak Al Khulaifi, the stadium’s project director, said in a statement that organisers were “very pleased to have initiated a presence on the site, which has a special significance for us all”.
Lusail is the sixth venue currently under construction for the World Cup, the first to be played in the Middle East.
The stadium is being designed by British architects Foster and Partners.
Up to 12 stadiums will be used for the World Cup in 2022, which for the first time in its history will be played during the months of November and December. A final decision on the number of venues will be made by the end of this year.
Officials for the body overseeing the Qatar World Cup, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), said construction work at Lusail would comply with international welfare standards.
Earlier this month, SC announced that the historic Khalifa International Stadium announced that approximately 90 percent of the structural concrete has been laid and is expected to be fully completed within two months.
Located in Al Rayyan Municipality, Khalifa International Stadium has long played a leading role in Qatar’s development as a premier host of major sporting events.
The Aspire Zone Foundation, one of the SC’s stakeholders, is leading construction works on Khalifa International Stadium.
Engineer Mansoor Saleh B Al – Muhannadi, Project Manager at Aspire Zone Foundation, said: “We are very happy with the rapid progress of renovation works at the site,” he said.
“Khalifa International Stadium is moving to new heights with structural work in concrete and steel, and the vertical structure is now at level eight while strengthening works are also under way. We expect the stadium to be handed over by the main contractor at the end of 2016,” he added.
The arc and undulating roof of Khalifa International Stadium are visible from afar, providing a prominent introduction to the Aspire Zone. The large arch on the Eastern side which was used as a platform for the launch of fireworks during the 2006 Doha Asian Games opening ceremony has already been removed, and is currently being replaced by two arches which are further visible signs of progress on the site.
Originally built as a 20,000-seater stadium in 1976, Khalifa International Stadium hosted the Gulf Cup that year. It returned to hosting prominence in 1992, receiving an upgrade to once-more host the Gulf Cup.
The stadium is currently undergoing a comprehensive renovation to meet the FIFA standards for World Cup stadiums, which includes adding a new building to the east wing, and building a single roof to cover the whole seating area.
The venue will fit 40,000 spectators and be completely cooled, including the field of play, all seats and concourses.
The redevelopment will allow the stadium to host group stage, round of 16 and quarter-final matches.AGENCIES
