Today it’s Qatar’s national stadium, but ahead of the 2022 World Cup Khalifa Stadium will lose its role to Lusail’s new arena. But this doesn’t mean a loss in standard, quite the contrary! Almost 20,000 new seats and 48,000 sqm of new floor space – this is the plan.

It already hosted the 2006 Asian Games, all major games of Qatari national team in football and soon the FIFA World Cup. Khalifa Stadium is crucial to Qatar’s 2022 tournament, expected to host group games, quarterfinal, semifinal and perhaps even more games, depending on final stadium list.

Built in 2005, the new western side will remain intact, retaining the iconic arch system’s role as landmark. But the east side will go through complete makeover, mimicking the western side.

Even more arches will come atop the upgraded stand, which is expected to get even 20,000 new seats, mostly in the new upper ring. New arched roof over part of the east side is in line with current architectural direction, just like access ramps created on both sides of the stand.

Completely new functions are planned underneath the improved structure: 10,000 sqm of retail space, further 10,000 sqm of VIP/corporate hospitality zones.

And that’s not even half the new space, because floor surface of the stadium is likely to grow by 48,000 sqm, including the freestanding Qatar Olympic Museum next to the stadium, connected with a pedestrian bridge.