An artist's illustration of Doha's Ras Abu Aboud Stadium. The stadium which will host 40,000 fans in the 2022 World Cup, is set to be completed by 2020.
The Secretary General of Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), Hassan Al Thawadi yesterday said that Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, the latest addition to the fleet of state-of-the-art 2022 World Cup venues will leave a legacy in stadium designs.
The SC yesterday unveiled the design for the World Cup’s first ‘reusable’ stadium, the seventh of eight venues that will stage games during the FIFA showpiece event.
“This venue offers the perfect legacy, capable of being reassembled in a new location in its entirety or built into numerous small sports and cultural venues. All of this in a stadium that delivers the atmosphere fans expect at a World Cup and which we will build in a more sustainable way than ever before. I’m delighted with this design and confident that Ras Abu Aboud will become a blueprint for future mega-event planners to follow,” Al Thawadi said.
Designed by Fenwick Iribarren Architects – the firm also behind Qatar Foundation Stadium’s spectacular ‘Diamond in the Desert’ – Ras Abu Aboud Stadium will be completely disassembled after the tournament – a first for a FIFA World Cup venue and a signal of Qatar’s commitment to sustainability.
Many elements of the arena, including all 40,000 seats, the containers and even the roof, will be re-used, providing valuable infrastructure to sporting and non-sporting projects.
Ras Abu Aboud stadium will be built on Doha’s southern waterfront and host matches up to the quarter-final stage and is due for completion in 2020.
“The location of Ras Abu Aboud Stadium is indeed another of its draws. It will sit on the shoreline of the Arabian Gulf, and across the water from Doha’s stunning West Bay skyline. Quite the backdrop,” Al Thawadi said.
“The location of Ras Abu Aboud, for us, holds a very dear place in our hearts,” he explained. “It is home to Qatar Petroleum, and the location represents part of our development history – especially during the early days of Qatar’s story and Qatar’s growth and prosperity.
“There is of course another element that makes this location very special – it is one of the few remaining areas in the city of Doha that is alongside a beach. It’s actually an extension of the Corniche, which is our water-facing area. It’s a very beautiful and valuable location for us.”
“The land will be re-utilised after 2022. It will either be returned to the government or utilised for private investment – and considering the land is in the heartland of the country, it will obviously benefit the local area,” Al Thawadi said.
The stadium will be built using modular building blocks, it combines tournament experience and legacy planning in a revolutionary way to create a truly unique venue.
“Innovation has always been central to our plans for delivering a historic FIFA World Cup that leaves a legacy for Qatar and the world, and there is no better example of this than the design of Ras Abu Aboud Stadium,” Al Thawadi said.
