Khalifa International Stadium growing skywards as structure completion approaches
The historic Khalifa International Stadium is one step closer to being the first proposed host venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ to be completed.With the concrete structure approaching conclusion and new levels of seating areas adding to the height of the stadium, approximately 90 per cent of the structural concrete has been laid and is expected to be fully completed within two months.
Located in Al Rayyan Municipality, Khalifa International Stadium has long played a leading role in Qatar’s development as a premier host of major sporting events. The Aspire Zone Foundation, one of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC)’s stakeholders, is leading construction works on Khalifa International Stadium.
Engineer Mansoor Saleh B. Al – Muhannadi, Project Manager at Aspire Zone Foundation, said: “We are very happy with the rapid progress of renovation works at the site. Khalifa International Stadium is moving to new heights with structural work in concrete and steel, and the vertical structure is now at level eight while strengthening works are also underway. We expect the stadium to be handed over by the main contractor at the end of 2016.”
The arc and undulating roof of Khalifa International Stadium are visible from afar, providing a prominent introduction to the Aspire Zone. The large arch on the Eastern side which was used as a platform for the launch of fireworks during the 2006 Doha Asian Games opening ceremony has already been removed, and is currently being replaced by two arches which are further visible signs of progress on the site.
Originally built as a 20,000-seater stadium in 1976, Khalifa International Stadium hosted the Gulf Cup that year. It returned to hosting prominence in 1992, receiving an upgrade to once-more host the Gulf Cup. The stadium is currently undergoing a comprehensive renovation to host the FIFA World Cup, which includes adding a new building to the east wing, and building a single roof to cover the whole seating area.
The venue shall fit 40,000 spectators and be completely cooled, including the field of play, all seats and concourses. The redevelopment will allow the stadium to host group stage, round of 16 and quarter-final matches.
According to the contractor, work continues to advance with a priority placed on health and safety practices on site, with around 3,300 construction workers having completed a total of 3,234,709 man-hours worked without recordable accidents.
The skeleton of the new stadium is on track for completion by the end of the year. Meanwhile, a new tent which will cover approximately 70 per cent of the stadium was fabricated in the USA and is currently being assembled in Mexico. It will soon be shipped to Doha to be fixed using cabling made in Germany. So far around 42,000 cubic metres of structural concrete have been poured.
Ghanim Al Kuwari, Supreme Committee’s Competition Venues Executive Director, added: “With this renovation, the stadium will not only be refurbished, but also enhanced with new features, maintaining its position as a global sports centre and also improving its role as a focal point for the local community.”
The venue will house the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum. Food courts, shops, multi-purpose rooms, VIP lounges and a health centre will also be available on the upper and lower concourses to be built in the East wing. In addition to this, a new road network along with two new metro stations in the surrounding area will connect the stadium to public transport.
FIFA opens tender in France for media rights
FIFA has opened an invitation to tender (“ITT”) for media rights in France, Monaco, Andorra and French overseas territories for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017, the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ and the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™. These media rights cover TV, IPTV, internet, mobile and radio transmissions for FIFA’s flagship competitions which are scheduled to take place between 2017 and 2022.
This tender will help FIFA select the media company that is best placed to operationally secure the required transmission commitments and to achieve FIFA’s objectives of reaching the widest possible audience and financial targets for its broader mission in football.
Media companies can request the ITT from the following address: europe-media-tender@fifa.org.
The request needs to state the names and titles of those who will interact with FIFA in the ITT procedure. Following a question and answer period (from 21 September to 6 November 2015), submissions to FIFA must be received by 17.00 CET on 9 November 2015. Negotiations with any preferred bidders will then commence thereafter on 10 November 2015.
More information on the FIFA events can be found on http://www.fifa.com/.
Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup bid
The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup bid was a bid by Qatar to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The bid has come under FBI investigation for bribery and corruption, leading to the resignation of FIFA President Sepp Blatter. With a population of 2 million people, Qatar will be the first Arab state to host the World Cup. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, son of Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani the then Emir of Qatar, was the chairman of the bid committee. Qatar promoted their hosting of the tournament as representing the Arab World, and has drawn support from across the member states of the Arab League. They also positioned their bid as an opportunity to bridge the gap between the Arab World and the West.On 17 Nov 2010 Qatar hosted a friendly match between Brazil and Argentina. This was one of 47 international exhibition games held throughout the world on this day.
President of FIFA Sepp Blatter endorsed the idea of having a World Cup in the Arab World, saying in April 2010, "The Arabic world deserves a World Cup. They have 22 countries and have not had any opportunity to organize the tournament." Blatter also praised Qatar's progress, "When I was first in Qatar there were 400,000 people here and now there are 1.6 million. In terms of infrastructure, when you are able to organise the Asian Games (in 2006) with more than 30 events for men and women, then that is not in question." On 2 December 2010, it was announced that Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup
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