(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Qatar has begun construction work at the site where the 2022 World Cup opening and final matches will be played, tournament officials said in Doha yesterday.
Preparatory work, including the stationing of site offices and five kilometres of hoarding, have gone up at the site in Lusail, north of Doha.
"Lusail Stadium, the centrepiece of the first World Cup in the Middle East, will seat 80,000 spectators in a spectacular venue inspired by Qatari traditions and culture," said the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the body overseeing World Cup projects in the state.
Mubarak al-Khulaifi, SC project director at Lusail Stadium, said that organisers were "very pleased to have initiated a presence on the site, which has a special significance for us all as the proposed host venue for the opening and final matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar".
He said: "Following the timely conclusion of the early works phase, we aim to shortly commence enabling works. The scope for this phase will be comprised of the heavy civil works required to facilitate the
construction of the stadium structure.
"The concept phase of the stadium design has been completed and approved, opening the way for the schematic phase. For Lusail Stadium we are building a venue which will become an internationally-recognisable landmark. It is worth noting that it is also on the flight path coming in from a number of countries for fans arriving to Hamad International Airport."
The final design for Lusail Stadium will be presented in 2016.
Lusail is the sixth venue currently under construction for the World Cup, the first to be played in the Middle East.
The stadium is being designed by British architects Foster and Partners.
Earlier this month, Qatar announced it will complete work on the first tournament venue to be used in the competition by 2016.
Up to 12 stadiums will be used for the World Cup in 2022, which for the first time in its history will be played during the months of November and December.
A final decision on the number of venues will be made by the end of this year.
All contracts on Lusail Stadium incorporate the SC's Workers' Welfare Standards, officials said. "Contractual enforcement of these standards and a rigorous four-tier auditing system guarantee international best practice on Lusail Stadium as construction advances further in the coming months."
The stadium has been designed to be in harmony with the surrounding Lusail City. To achieve this, extensive work has been carried out to integrate the stadium with the neighbouring master-plan. Regular co-ordination is being held with the local municipal authority for the exchange of engineering information about the utilities and services in order to ensure alignment with the available sources in the area, SC officials said.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.