Al Bayt Stadium and Stadium 974 open doors

Article posted byColiseum,December 2^nd, 2021

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Stadium 974 and Al Bayt stadium inaugurated in Qatar Image: Qatar 2022

The stunningAl Bayt Stadium – which will host the first match of next year’sFIFA World Cup™ – was unveiled by Qatar on the opening day of theFIFA Arab Cup™ on November 30^th, 2021. The 60,000-capacity venue – designed to resemble the tents historically used by nomadic people in the Gulf region – hosted Qatar’s 1-0 victory against Bahrain as the 16-team tournament got off to an exciting start.

‘Qatar 2022’ stated that the inauguration of theAl Bayt Stadium was attended by the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, who officially announced the start of the tournament.

Stated His Highness Al Thani, “In the name of God and with God’s blessings, I declare the opening of theFIFA Arab Cup™ Qatar 2021, wishing all national teams well. All Arabs are welcome to the Doha of all Arabs.”

The 60,000-capacityAl-Bayt Stadium is a football stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, intended to be used for matches in the2022 FIFA World Cup™. The stadium’s construction contract was awarded to Salini and Cimolai in 2015.

‘Qatar 2022’ further stated that straight after Al Bayt’s inauguration,Stadium 974 also hosted its first game. The 40,000-capacity venue, made primarily from shipping containers, staged the United Arab Emirates’ 2-1 victory against Syria. Stadium 974 is the first fully demountable stadium inFIFA World Cup™ history and was named after the number of shipping containers used in its development and Qatar’s international dialing code. Elsewhere on the opening day, Tunisia defeated Mauritania 5-1 at the 21,282-capacity Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, while Iraq and Oman drew 1-1 at the 40,000-capacityAl Janoub Stadium.

The 40,000-capacityStadium 974, previously known asRas Abu Aboud Stadium, is a football stadium which sits in Doha, Qatar, and has been built for the2022 FIFA World Cup™. The stadium is scheduled to host matches up to Round of 16 at the2022 World Cup.

TheFIFA Arab Cup™ opening ceremony was held prior to the match at Al Bayt – which means ‘the home’ in English – and included performances by the Iraqi singer, Rahma Riad, Kuwaiti singer and composer Abdulaziz Louis and the Algerian singer Cheb Khaled. The crowd also enjoyed a national anthem medley of all 23 countries involved in the tournament and qualifying, along with stunning choreography and a mesmerizing pyrotechnics display.

RemarkedH.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), “TheFIFA Arab Cup is off to a flying start with four exciting matches and the inauguration of two stadiums that will be used during next year’sFIFA World Cup™. We are incredibly proud of both venues. Al Bayt pays tribute to Qatari and Arab culture, while Stadium 974 is a beacon of innovation and sustainability. We are sure fans from all over the world will enjoy visiting these state-of-the-art venues during both the Arab Cup and next year’s World Cup.”

AddedFIFA President, Gianni Infantino, “Al Bayt is the house where everyone is uniting, where everyone is coming together. It is a symbol for what theWorld Cup represents. TheArab Cup represents today what theWorld Cup will represent next year of people coming together, of people being united from all over the world. So, to have games in such a beautiful stadium, in such a symbolic stadium, is something that we have to cherish and that will be crucial for the success of theWorld Cup.”

Said Yasir Al Jamal, Chairman of the SC’s Operations Office and Vice-Chairman, Technical Delivery Office, “Seeing bothAl Bayt andStadium 974 host matches on the opening day of theFIFA Arab Cup™ is exciting for football fans and everybody involved inFIFA World Cup™ preparations. All eight of our tournament venues for next year’s World Cup have been completed and we look forward to hosting many more matches to finetune our planning for next year’s tournament. I would like to thank everybody involved in bringing these stadiums to life – including the various project teams and our trusted stakeholders.”

StatedNasser Al Khater, CEO, FIFA World Cup™ Qatar 2022 LLC, “The atmosphere atAl Bayt was incredible for the inauguration ceremony and throughout the match. It was wonderful to see so much passion for football during this momentous occasion, which offered a glimpse of theWorld Cup we will host in 2022. TheFIFA Arab Cup™ is off to a great start and we look forward to more exciting matches between now and the final on December 18^th.”

Located in the Northern City of Al Khor, Al Bayt will host nine matches during next year’sFIFA World Cup™, including the tournament opener on November 21^st. During theFIFA Arab Cup™, Al Bayt will host five matches, including the final on December 18^th.

Stadium 974, meanwhile, is located inRas Abu Aboud, only 4 km from the Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. The stadium boasts stunning views of the West Bay skyline and will host seven matches up to the round of 16 stages duringQatar 2022.Stadium 974 will host six matches during theFIFA Arab Cup™, including the third-place play-off.

All eight of Qatar’sFIFA World Cup 2022™ stadiums have now been completed. The inaugurations of bothAl Bayt andStadium 974 mean that only the 80,000-capacityLusail Stadium – the venue for next year’sFIFA World Cup™ final – is left to be unveiled. Main works at theLusail Stadium were recently completed as the SC announced the readiness of all stadiums a full year before theWorld Cup.

Tickets for all remainingFIFA Arab Cup™ matches are still available fromfifa.com/tickets. A number of Category 4 tickets priced QAR 25 (for Qatar residents only) remains available for all matches except the semi-finals and final. All ticket holders must apply for a mandatory Hay’ya Card (Fan ID) fromfac21.qa.

Qatar’sSupreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) is the entity responsible for overseeing all construction and infrastructure projects for the2022 FIFA World Cup™.

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