2022 FIFA World Cup™ project update by Khalifa Al Mana
Khalifa Al Mana - Project Senior Engineer at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy - provided ESSMA Summit participants with an update on all eight stadium projects which will be delivered for the2022 FIFA World Cup™.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) is responsible for the delivery of the required infrastructure and host country planning and operations for Qatar to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup™. It accelerates progress towards achieving national development goals and creates a lasting legacy for Qatar, the Middle East, Asia and the world.
“By engaging with the communities around each of our venues, we will guarantee a successful legacy use for all Qatar 2022 stadiums. Each of the stadiums will have a different use after the tournament. Thanks to the modular top tiers, the capacity will be reduced in many of them so we can reuse this space in different ways after 2022.”
A Unique World Cup
All stadiums and accompanying infrastructure have been designed with a long-lasting legacy in mind. After the tournament, the stadiums and their surroundings will become vibrant hubs of the local community life.
Eights new stadiums are being built in Qatar to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup™. Any two stadiums are at most a one hour drive away from each other. This compact nature of the tournament will give fans the opportunity to visit several games in one day or to follow the whole tournament without ever having to change hotels.
Overview of all 2022 FIFA World Cup™ stadiums
- Al Thumama Stadium was designed by a Qatari Architect and will have a capacity of 40,000. It features several training pitches on the stadium site and it will be reconverted to include a hotel and boutiques after 2022. In addition, there will be cycling and jogging routes around the stadium.
- Khalifa International Stadium has been inaugurated in 2017 with the Emir Cup final. During the World Cup, the stadium will host matches up until the quarter-final. Afterwards, it will become Qatar’s national stadium.
- Al Bayt Stadium will have a 60,000 capacity and will host matches up until the semi-final stage. After the World Cup, 28,000 seats from the stadium will be donated to developing countries.
- Al Wakrah Stadium will have a 40,000 capacity and will host matches up until the quarter-final stage. In terms of legacy, Al Wakrah Stadium will hold a school for the local community, a hospital, shopping, leisure and retail facilities.
- Al Rayyan Stadium has a 40,000 capacity and will feature a special cooling technology to keep the temperature in the stadium between 20 and 23 °C. After the tournament, Al Rayyan Stadium will become home of Al Rayyan Football Club and will feature a multi-sports hall and indoor training facilities.
- Education City Stadium will have a capacity of 40,000 and will host quarter-final matches in 2022. It is located in Education City, which is home to several international universities. After the World Cup, it will become a sports venue for the local universities.
- Ras Abu Aboud Stadium was built with sustainable and modified shipping containers. It can be demounted and turned into new venues after the 2022 FIFA World Cup™. Ras Abu Aboud Stadium has a 40,000 seats capacity.
- Lusail Stadium is a 80,000-seat stadium located 15 km north of Doha in Lusail City. It will host the opening match & World Cup final in 2022. After the tournament it will become a multi-purpose community space.
Community initiatives
The Supreme Committee has also created several programmes - Generation Amazing, Challenge 22 and Workers’ Welfare - and initiatives - Community Engagement and Josoor Institute - allowing them to harness the power of football to stimulate human, social, economic and environmental development in communities across Qatar and Asia.
Go to our ESSMA Flickr account for more pictures.
Access his presentation on the ESSMA Knowledge Platform
Interview with Khalifa Al Mana: