The FIFA World Cup Al Bayt Stadium has been unveiled ahead of the Arab Cup

With less than a year to go until the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar opened its doors at Al Bayt Stadium on Tuesday in the wake of the Arab Cup match between the host and Bahrain. It is now the sixth venue for the World Cup, which will open after Khalifa International, Al Janoub, Education City, Ahmad Bin Ali and Al Thumama.

The attractive stadium, which will also host the opening match of Qatar 2022, pays homage to the hospitality industry in the Middle East as a model. bayt al sha’ar – Common nomadic tents in the Gulf region. The light fats in the room contribute to the technology of artificial cooling, in line with the idea of ​​traditional Arabic tents to repel the heat of the desert.

A great event

While His Excellency the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani announced the open tournament, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was also seen enjoying the light and sound show at a grand opening ceremony, with 3D hologram projections and live and virtual performances by several celebrities such as the legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz.

“Let’s celebrate football and unite the world together,” Infantino said before the match, in which the current Asian champion Qatar survived the last-minute scare to scare the visitor 1-0 with a scream from Abdulaziz Hatem in the 69th minute. .

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In the northern city of Al Khor, 46 km north of Doha, Al Bayt Stadium has 60,000 seats. Next year will be the second most crowded place in the show in four years, and will host nine games for the finals.

Aspire Zone Foundation, a member of the Supreme Committee on Delivery and Legacy, the capacity of the arena will be reduced by almost half after a four-year exhibition to house a five-star hotel, shopping center, dining room, gym and multipurpose room. . It will also include a branch of a state-of-the-art sports medicine facility within its premises.

Two venues – Stadium 974 and Lusail Stadium – have not yet been officially unveiled.

(The writer is invited by the Supreme Commission on Shipping and Legacy in Qatar)