Khalifa International Stadium
Celebrating a new chapter in Qatar’s football history
19 May 2017
To commemorate a momentous milestone on the road to 2022 – the reopening of Khalifa International Stadium – we celebrate one of Qatar’s most iconic sporting venues from its beginnings as a host of an early Gulf Cup to the ultramodern arena now ready for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.
Since its construction for the 1976 Gulf Cup – the first in Qatar – the stadium has been at the heart of sport in this country and Asia as a whole. The second Gulf Cup tournament staged at the stadium, in 1992, ended with Qatar lifting the trophy for the first time.
It has welcomed legendary national teams such as Brazil, Argentina and England, in addition to prestigious tournaments like the AFC Asian Cup. Yet this historic venue has also opened its arms to multisport competitions, including the 2006 Asian Games and the 2011 Pan Arab Games.
In preparation for its greatest honour yet – hosting the Middle East’s first FIFA World Cup™ – the stadium has been renovated and is now ready for an ambitious, sustainable future.
At the centre of the proposed stadiums for the tournament – and as the first to be completed – this magnificent venue will be the cornerstone of the best-connected FIFA World Cup™ of all time.
As players from all corners of the globe step out onto the pitch at the revitalised Khalifa International Stadium, they will usher in a new era of glory at this famous arena. Khalifa International Stadium played a central role in a truly spectacular edition of the Asian Games in 2006. It was the first time all 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia participated in the competition. The stadium’s new design was launched in November 2014 at the 22nd Gulf Cup in Riyadh. People from across the region were united in excitement as they saw their beloved venue’s new look for the first time.
The plans included a distinctive stadium bowl shape. An additional 12,000 seats would be added, to take the capacity to 48,000 (40,000 for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™). Its iconic twin arches would remain, to live long in the memories of visiting football fans. Pictured before the redevelopment, the arena’s athletics track remains a key part of future plans. It will welcome the world’s best athletes for the IAAF World Championships, which Qatar is set to host in 2019. Renovation began in the summer of 2014. Teams of workers applied their expertise to develop a stadium that will host matches through to the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™.
The arena’s outer façade was completely replaced, resulting in a futuristic new face for an old friend. This was some of the last work to be finished as the stadium geared up for its long-awaited return to action. When completed, the new 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum will be connected to the stadium via a walkway, symbolically linking Qatar’s sporting past to the standard-bearer of its bright future. After three years of remarkable renovation work, Khalifa International Stadium will offer fans at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ – and events beyond – perfect views of the action, wherever they sit. Before the arena’s magnificent roof was completed, steel tension cables – weighing a total of 4,000 tonnes – were put in place to support it. The iconic twin arches – which were dismantled and reinstalled during the renovation process – can be seen for kilometres around and will become a lasting symbol of this breathtaking arena and the 2022 FIFA World Cup™. A specialist crane operator was brought in from India to install the last section of the arches, which weighed 47 tonnes. The crane used for this precision task, meanwhile, weighed more than 600 tonnes. Years of planning went into the stadium renovation, carefully mapping out how it will be used before, during and after the tournament. The highest point of the stadium structure is over 100 metres above the ground. The striking form of The Torch Doha hotel has become an iconic part of the skyline, rising high over Khalifa International Stadium. As its name suggests, the hotel was built to house a gigantic flame for the 2006 Asian Games. Thousands of workers from all over the globe helped to turn the bold vision for this arena into reality. The impressive roof structure provides shade to fans, while allowing the pitch enough sunlight to grow and recover after each use. The new Khalifa International Stadium sits within Aspire Zone. It is also home to Aspire Academy, where the next generation of sporting talent is being nurtured, and a FIFA-accredited sports medicine hospital, a water sports complex and the world’s largest indoor multisport arena. After three years of tireless preparation, the finishing touches were applied in early May 2017. One of Qatar’s oldest sporting landmarks, Khalifa International Stadium stands proud once again. Ready for the dawn of a new era…