On an auspicious and unique day when the entire nation was celebrating country’s National Day, Qatar yesterday inaugurated fourth FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venue – Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium - by hosting the Amir Cup final that capped three days of football frenzy in the country.
The inauguration of Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium follows the successful launch of the iconic Khalifa International Stadium (2017), Al Janoub Stadium (2019) and the Education City (2020) Stadiums. Al Bayt Stadium has also been completed and will be inaugurated in the near future. Al Thumama Stadium, Ras Abu Aboud and Lusail Stadium are in the final stages of construction and will be delivered well in advance of the tournament, which kicks off on November 21, 2022.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday was joined by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and national sports heroes as Qatar unveiled its fourth World Cup venue with a grand football match watched by 20,000 fans. The new Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium reached approximately 50 percent capacity when it hosted Amir Cup final last night. Social distancing measures were implemented within the vicinity of the stadium, including the fan zone and on public transport.
On Thursday, in a board meeting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Q22 Chairman and Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) Hassan Al Thawadi said: “Despite the enormous challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, major strides have continued to be made during 2020 in preparation for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world.”
Nasser Al Khater, CEO of Q22, said: “With over 90% of all tournament infrastructure completed, our focus has shifted to delivering a unique fan experience in 2022. We are very excited to host two major tournaments in 2021, namely the FIFA Club World Cup and FIFA Arab Cup. Both these events will offer fans a glimpse of our plans for 2022 and serve as key opportunities to test our operational plans and infrastructure readiness to ensure we deliver a unique and remarkable World Cup,” he added.
In a related football development, President of the European Football Associations (UEFA) Aleksander Ceferin, on Thursday praised Qatar’s preparations to organize the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, on the sidelines of his visit to Doha to attend the final of the Amir Cup. On the participation of the Qatari team in the European qualifiers for the World Cup, Ceferin stressed that it is a great idea, as it was discussed in the European Union and UEFA reacted positively to the idea.
