Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium – design description

What are the characteristics of Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium?

Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium in Dammam has been in existence since 1983. The facility features an athletics track and two stands on the sides, with a capacity of 7,500 spectators. The stadium is used by Ettifaq Club, although the first team plays its Saudi league matches at the larger Prince Mohammed bin Fahad bin Abdulaziz Stadium.

The facility is named after Abdullah Al-Dabal, former president of Ettifaq Club and later a prominent football official, including a 24-year member of the FIFA Executive Committee.

The stadium is located in the so-called Dammam Sports City. This area is actually already located on the northern outskirts of the city of Khobar, which is part of the Dammam agglomeration. The Al Nahda club's facility is nearby, and there are also plans to build a new Dammam Stadium.

How did the redevelopment of Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium come about?

In June 2021, the Saudi Ministry of Sports announced a plan to develop three smaller stadiums. Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium was among them, plus the facilities of Al Shabab from Riyadh and Al Fateh from Al-Mubarraz were also on the list.

The redevelopment of Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium began in September 2021 and was expected to last until July 2022, but construction work has dragged on until 2023.

What are the guidelines for the redevelopment of Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium?

The redevelopment plan is to change the layout of the stands to a more football-like layout. The west stand and a large section of the east stand will be retained. The existing athletics track will be removed. New stands will be built behind the goals, connected to the east stand with rounded corners, surrounding the pitch from three sides at close range.

The west stand will be separated from the rest of the auditorium. It will remain some distance from the pitch, with a straight section of running track still in front of it. All stands will receive new roofing. The capacity of the stadium after the reconstruction will increase to 15,000 spectators.