Egypt Stadium – stadium description

When was Egypt Stadium built?

A report of the construction of Egypt Stadium can be seen on a separate subpage

Construction of the stadium in the New Administrative Capital began in 2019. The New Administrative Capital is a giant urban development project that has been under construction since 2015, aiming to create a new metropolis from scratch to the east of the Cairo metropolitan area. The stadium project was designed by Italian studio SHESA Architectural Design and the main contractor was Egyptian construction giant Orascom Construction PLC.

The architectural concept of Egypt Stadium can be seen on a separate subpage

When was Egypt Stadium opened?

The stadium was initially scheduled to open in 2022, but was later postponed to June 2023, and finally the facility was not ready until early 2024. In January 2024, the Egyptian national football team trained at the stadium in preparation for the African Cup of Nations. The first match took place at the facility on March 22, 2024, when Egypt defeated New Zealand 1–0 in a match played as part of a friendly tournament.

How much did it cost to build Egypt Stadium?

The cost of building the stadium was 900 million Egyptian pounds, which, when converted into major world currencies, is an extremely low amount, almost unprecedented for an investment of this scale, especially after the fall in the value of the Egyptian currency (less than $20 million in early 2024). The cost of building the entire complex was 2.28 billion Egyptian pounds.

What does the sports complex in Egypt's New Administrative Capital consist of?

The new sports complex, the so-called Egypt International Olympic City, consists of a number of high-end facilities, including two large sports arenas, an Olympic swimming pool, a hippodrome, a tennis complex, squash facilities, training fields, as well as administrative and cultural buildings and hotels. The most important venue, however, is the huge, multi-purpose stadium.

What does Egypt Stadium look like?

The venue, called Egypt Stadium (Stad Masr), was built on an elliptical plan and features a pitch with hybrid turf and an athletics track, which is surrounded by three levels of stands. The auditorium is equipped with folding seats in shades of blue. The capacity of the stands is 93,940 spectators, making the stadium the largest in the Middle East and the second largest in Africa, after FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

The stands are surrounded by a steel cable structure with 32 characteristic tall masts, responsible for maintaining the membrane roof that covers the entire auditorium. From the outside, the stadium is crowned by a multi-shaded blue and turquoise façade. On a symbolic level, the building is meant to resemble the headdress of Nefertiti, the ancient queen of Egypt.

Why was Egypt Stadium built?

The facility was built to become Egypt's new national stadium, replacing Cairo International Stadium in this role. Its creation, along with the entire complex, is also intended to enable Egypt to bid for major sporting events such as the Olympic Games and football World Cup.