The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy has announced that the Al-Rayyan Stadium will be open on December 18th. The choice of the inauguration date was not accidental, as it falls on the Qatar National Day. This day is symbolic also because the final of the 2022 World Cup will be played in exactly 2 years from that date. Al-Rayyan stadium is the fourth venue of the 2022 World Cup that has been completed.

Al-Rayyan Stadium as the fourth finished venue for the World Cup

So far, three stadiums for the World Cup have been finished: Khalifa International Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium and Education City Stadium. The facility in Al-Rayyan is now ready to host football matches. All the seats have been installed, the pitch has been laid and the works on the facade of the stadium has been completed. Thanks to this, on December 18th, Al Sadd and Al Arabi will be able to play in the Amir Cup final. It will be the first official match at the new stadium. 

© Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy

The area around the city where the venue is located is known for its desert landscapes. This is reflected in the facade of the stadium. Additionally, hospitality areas and merchandise stalls at the facility will be in the shape of dunes.

The exterior of the stadium will feature intricate designs representing Qatar, from its history of trade to its diverse wildlife. The most striking feature of the venue is its illuminated facade, recalling important aspects of Qatar: the importance of the family, the beauty of the desert, native flora and fauna, and local and international trade.

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Al-Rayyan Stadium during and after the World Cup

With a capacity of 40,000, the stadium will host seven World Cup fixtures, ranging from six group stage matches to one tie of last-16. Al-Rayyan Stadium is next to a large shopping mall and is well connected to the rest of the city thanks to the nearby Al Riffa Underground Station. Interestingly, many recycled materials were used in the construction of the facility. Most of the raw materials came from the deconstructed Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium that once occupied the site. 

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Hilal Al Kuwari, president of SC Technical Supply Office, described the completion of the stadium as a huge achievement on the way to the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world. 

The other four World Cup stadiums will be delivered in the near future to give us plenty of time to test our operational plans, said Al Kuwari.

After the World Cup tournament, the modular upper tier of the facility will be dismantled and the seats will be handed over to other sports venues in Qatar and overseas. This procedure will reduce the stadium's capacity to 20,000 seats. It is also known that the stadium will serve Al-Rayyan SC, playing in Qatar's top flight.

The colours of the seats at the venue refer to the mentioned club. The stadium area will be transformed into a regional sports and recreation centre with plenty of facilities for local residents. It is planned to provide them with six football pitches, a cricket facility, a horse riding track and an athletics track.

Author: Tomasz Sobura

© Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy