Stadium 974 unveiled for Qatar 2022

Article posted by Coliseum, November 23^rd, 2021

Image: Qatar 2022

Stadium 974 has been officially unveiled and will host its first match on November 30^th when the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Syria go head-to-head on the opening day of the FIFA Arab Cup™.

‘Qatar 2022’ stated that Stadium 974 is the seventh tournament venue to be completed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and follows the 48,000-capacity Khalifa International, the 40,000-capacity Al Janoub, the 45,350-capacity Education City, the 21,282-capacity Ahmad Bin Ali, the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt, and the 40,000-capacity Al Thumama stadia in being declared ready to host matches during the FIFA World Cup 2022™, which will kick off on November 21^st next year.

Stadium 974, previously known as the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, is a football stadium which has been built in Doha, Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™. The stadium is scheduled to host matches up to the quarter finals stage at the 2022 World Cup.

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The FIFA Arab Cup™, or simply Arab Cup, is an international association football competition which has been organized by FIFA since 2021, and is contested by the senior men’s national teams of the Union of Arab Football Associations, the sport’s governing body for countries in the Arab world. It is slated to be held from November 30^th, 2021 to December 18^th, 2021.

Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) is the entity responsible for overseeing all construction and infrastructure projects for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup™ is scheduled to be the 22^nd running of the FIFA World Cup™ competition, the quadrennial international men’s football championship contested by the national teams of the member- associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 21^st to December 18^th, 2022.

‘Qatar 2022’ further stated that the venue – formerly known as Ras Abu Aboud – is made primarily from shipping containers and is located close to the Doha Port, directly opposite the spectacular West Bay skyline. The innovative design means this is the first fully demountable stadium in FIFA World Cup™ history.

Stadium 974 will host seven matches up to the round of 16 stages during Qatar 2022. During the FIFA Arab Cup™, which will take place from November 30^th to December 18^th, the 40,000-capacity stadium will host six matches, including the first semi-final and third-place play-off. The stadium is located 800m from the Ras Bu Abboud Station on the Gold Line of the Doha Metro.

The stadium’s new name reflects the number of shipping containers used in the development and is also Qatar’s international dialing code. The name also reflects the stadium’s location as the gateway to Qatar, being close to the Hamad International Airport, Doha Airport and Hamad Port.

H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the SC, noted, “We are very proud to announce the completion of Stadium 974. This is yet another milestone on the road to 2022 as we edge closer to hosting the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East and Arab world.”

Added Al Thawadi, “We consider this innovative venue a game-changer for future mega-event hosts. It is another example of the powerful legacy our World Cup will leave.”

Remarked Engineer Yasir Al Jamal, Chairman of the SC’s Operations Office and Vice-Chairman, Technical Delivery Office, “The striking Stadium 974 is a proud symbol of sustainability and innovation. The completion of this venue is yet another significant moment in our journey towards hosting the FIFA World Cup™.”

Al Jamal continued, “We are in a very strong position in relation to all of our infrastructure projects and look forward to Stadium 974 hosting its first matches during the upcoming FIFA Arab Cup™.”

Due to its innovative design, the Stadium 974 bowl avoids the need for air conditioning as it is naturally ventilated. Much of the stadium’s structure is made from recycled steel, while water efficiency methods ensure it will reduce water use by 40 percent compared to a conventional stadium development. HBK Contracting acted as the main contractor, while TiME Qatar was the Project Manager.

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