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Qatar / General

Al Thumama Stadium takes shape

Published: 12 Nov 2019 - 12:00 am | Last Updated: 01 Nov 2021 - 03:35 am
General aerial views of the Al Thumama Stadium, a host venue for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

General aerial views of the Al Thumama Stadium, a host venue for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Al Thumama Stadium, one of the stadiums to hold FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 matches, is fast taking shape. It will be hosting matches through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), posted some latest aerial views of the stadium under construction on their Twitter handle. 

As per SC website the stadium's concrete frame is now finished. Work on upper-tier stands is approaching an end and roof column installation is complete, making it easier to visualise what a magnificent venue this will be.

The 40,000-seat Al Thumama Stadium, inspired by the ‘gahfiya’ headpiece worn by men in Qatar and across the MENA region, is the first venue designed solely by a Qatari architect, Ibrahim Mohammed Jaidah.

After Qatar 2022, Al Thumama Stadium’s seating capacity will be reduced to 20,000. The 20,000 seats to be removed from the stadium will be donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure. In addition, a branch of the world-renowned Aspetar Sports Clinic will open on site. A boutique hotel will replace the stadium's upper stands.

“Al Thumama Stadium is a nod to the past, while offering an exciting glimpse into Qatar's tomorrow. In Arab culture, the gahfiya forms an important part of every young boy's path to adulthood. 

“Every family from the region recognises the gahfiya, as they will all recognise this magnificent stadium once it has brought the world together in 2022.

“It is an arena that symbolises Qatar's youth, the country's emergence as a major player on the global sporting scene and the shared Arab heritage that inspired its creation,” the SC website added.

The venue's distinctive design, based on the traditional gahfiya cap, won the prestigious MIPIM / The Architectural Review Future Project Award in May 2018.