Qatar unveils the sixth Stadium to host World Cup 2022

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for delivering the infrastructure required to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, has today launched the design of Al Thumama Stadium, the sixth 2022 FIFA World Cup venue design the SC has revealed.
 
Al Thumama Stadium is one of seven venues currently under construction across Qatar, with the Khalifa International Stadium having been completed and inaugurated in May in Doha.
 
Based on the ‘gahfiya’ headdress worn by men across the Arab world, an essential component of traditional Arab dress, Al Thumama’s distinct design is steeped in tradition and history and will resonate across the Arab world.
 
Speaking on the launch of the new stadium design, H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, SC Secretary General, said: “With just over five years to go until Qatar opens the doors of the Middle East to the world, this symbolic design embodies everything that unites us as Arabs and Muslims, and is a fitting tribute to the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East. Given its cultural and historical relevance, I am confident that, once completed, Al Thumama Stadium will become a favourite among the region’s sports fans and a sporting landmark that demonstrates to future generations just how unique the Qatar World Cup will be.”
 
Al Thumama Stadium is set for completion in 2020 and will seat 40,000 spectators and host matches up to the quarter-final stage when the FIFA World Cup kicks off on November 21st, 2022.

Supreme Committee
 
The innovative arena is being built by a Qatar-Turkey joint venture (JV) between AlJaber Engineering and Turkey’s largest construction company, Tekfen, with enabling works successfully completed in 2016. Architectural Design Consultant Heerim, who recently worked on the stunning Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan, will also be working on the stadium.
 
The stadium is one of the most centrally located venues out of the eight being constructed for the tournament, nestled in the busy residential Doha suburb of Al Thumama, located just 6km south of Doha’s famous Corniche. It is also just 5km from Doha’s state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport, which will have capacity to handle over 200,000 travelling fans a day come tournament time, and situated close to various metro stations on Qatar Rail’s Red Line, enabling fans to effortlessly travel between hotels and stadiums to watch multiple live matches per day thanks to the compact nature of the tournament. Supreme Committee
 
The stadium will be equipped with both world-class standards of disabled access and the SC’s revolutionary cooling technology to enable year-round sporting activities after the tournament. In legacy mode, the stadium capacity will decrease to 20,000 thanks to demountable modular seating sections that the SC will donate to developing football nations after the tournament. The remaining 20,000-seater Al Thumama Stadium will feature a boutique hotel and a range of amenities the SC is agreeing with the local community to ensure the precinct meets its needs long after the final whistle in 2022.
 
The distinctive white bowl design, adorned with an intricate pattern, is based on the ‘gahfiya’, an essential component of traditional Arab dress that holds in place the ‘ghutra’ and ‘aghal’, which together form a symbol of dignity and independence.