A conference on global sports venues cannot be complete without a mention of Qatar’s preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.
The fact that oil-rich Gulf state will be the first Arab nation to host the event, which will also be the first time the championship will be held in the Middle East region, has seen a heightened interest in the arrangements.
With FIFA sources confirming last month that the World Cup will be, in all likelihood, moved to winters owing to Qatar’s climatic conditions, the global interest on the preparations have further multiplied.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy is leading the preparation efforts for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which will witness participation from 32 national teams. Eight venues have been planned so far for the matches.
Participants of Coliseum Summit USA 2015 will get a first-hand overview of the developments in Qatar from a high-powered Supreme Committee delegation on the first day (April 28) of the summit. As a part of their presentation, the Supreme Committee will also introduce the newly-announced Al Rayyan Stadium to the US market at Coliseum Summit.
Al Rayyan Stadium and Precinct
The Supreme Committee recently announced that Al Rayyan Stadium and Precinct will be built on the site of Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium and is designed to showcase Qatar’s culture. The new 40,000-seat Al Rayyan Stadium is a proposed venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ Qatar.
AECOM is the stadium’s project manager, while the design work is being undertaken by Ramboll and Pattern Design.
The façade of Al Rayyan Stadium is formed from seven patterns, representing different aspects of Qatari culture. The patterns blend together seamlessly to tell the story of the nation.
The precinct surrounding Al Rayyan Stadium will include a vast range of facilities, including a mosque, aquatics centre, athletics track, cricket pitch, tennis courts and hockey pitch. Floodlights and cooling will allow for the use of football training pitches all year round, day and night. Shaded walkways will wind their way through the landscaped grounds, which will also feature a skate park, cycling track, running track and outdoor fitness equipment.
A new branch of Aspetar, the region’s premier sports medicine facility and a FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, will also be built in the precinct.
“Sustainability sits at the heart of Al Rayyan Stadium and Precinct. The innovative, energy-efficient cooling technology being developed by the SC will guarantee the comfort of fans and players. Renewable energy will be generated within the precinct, actively minimising the stadium’s carbon footprint,” the Supreme Committee states in its official website.
“A further reduction will be achieved through lightweight building design, the careful selection of materials and the implementation of energy and water efficiency measures. Materials from the deconstructed Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium will be recycled for use throughout the precinct, with some also reserved todevelop public art installations,” it further says.
Finally, a new metro link will ensure that fans and the community have an easy and environmentally friendly way of accessing Al Rayyan Stadium and Precinct, in 2022 and for decades to come.
Following the 2022 FIFA World Cup™, the seating capacity of Al Rayyan Stadium will be reduced to approximately 21,000.