Preparations to lay the foundations for Al Wakrah Stadium, the first stadium being built for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, began on Monday.
Local construction company HBK has started major excavation work on the site, which will enable the foundations to be start being laid in September 2014.
The groundwork is scheduled to be completed by March 2015, with the entire stadium project expected to be finished in 2018.
AECOM is providing design consultancy and construction supervision services on the stadium, which was designed by Zaha Hadid. The preparatory works at Al Wakrah were carried out by AMANA, a Middle Eastern firm with headquarters in United Arab Emirates. The contractor for the main construction phase will be announced at a ceremony in September.
“As a Qatari contractor, the decision to award HBK the contract following a tender process implemented for a number of Qatari contractors with local knowledge and proven capabilities follows the Supreme Commitee’s vision to develop the private sector,” the Supreme Committee said in a statement.
The 40,000 seater stadium will be surrounded by a 560,000 m2 (60-hectare) precinct, which will include a new sports centre and a range of community facilities including a park, mosque, school, hotel, wedding hall, vocational training centre and retail outlets.
The stadium’s modular design will allow 20,000 modular seats to be removed after the World Cup, when they are planned to be donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure, according to the Supreme Committee.
The contract with HBK contains the Supreme Committee’s new Workers’ Welfare Standards, aimed at protecting the rights of workers through all stages of contracting. “The new Al Wakrah Stadium will contribute to a significant legacy of enhanced workers’ welfare in the country,” said the Committee.
Al Wakrah is one of at least eight stadiums that will form part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
By the end of 2014, at least five World Cup stadiums are scheduled to be under construction, with the total number of venues to feature in the tournament to be confirmed by December. Three existing stadiums – Khalifa, Al Gharrafa and Al Rayyan – are to be expanded for the 2022 World Cup.
Tag: Qatar 2022
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Ground broken for Qatar 2022’s first stadium
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Yaya Toure convinced by Qatar 2022 plans
Manchester City star Yaya Toure got more than the hospital treatment he was visiting Doha for this week. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy made the most of the occasion, showcasing their plans for the 2022 World Cup tournament to the Ivorian midfielder.
“At Manchester City we talk about the World Cup in Qatar, but sometimes only because you hear very negative things,” Toure said. “If I’m honest, I had questions before I came to Qatar, especially about the weather. It is very hot and you ask yourself how it will be possible for players to play in this heat?”
The Supreme Committee welcomed the world-leading midfielder to the Legacy Pavilion – one of the venues that FIFA inspectors visited in 2010 before Qatar won the right to host the tournament. He was shown how stadiums will be cooled in environmentally-friendly ways and how and modular construction techniques will benefit developing countries after the tournament.
“Now that I have seen the plans and watched this amazing presentation, I have the answers. It is amazing,” Toure said.
“I didn’t understand the plans Qatar has. I didn’t know about the cooling technology or anything like this. I am so surprised. It has everything.
“I have played in the World Cup before. I am about to play in another one. I know what you need for this sort of tournament to be successful. Qatar looks like it has the plans to succeed.”
“For sure I will be telling my teammates about these plans because Qatar is planning to have everything. It’s fantastic.
After helping his team to win the English Premier League, Toure went to Doha’s Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital for treatment on a minor injury. He joins the Ivory Coast national team in Dallas, Texas on Thursday to prepare for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Toure hopes to still be playing by the time Qatar is hosting. “In 2022 I will be 40 and maybe that’s too old to play at a World Cup. I’m trying to work out how I can be involved because this is the future. It looks amazing.” -
Blatter takes high ground and aims for interplanetary World Cup
FIFA’s embattled president Sepp Blatter took the opportunity of addressing his organisation’s congress in Sao Paulo on Wednesday to speak up for integrity in football and highlight the universal reach of the sport.
Standing firm in the eye of a storm over alleged corruption, Blatter said “These are important times for FIFA.
“We must lead by example and we must listen to all voices; we must be responsible and upright in all that we do; we must do the right thing even if that comes at a cost.
“We must carry the flame of responsibility and honesty and always with respect. If not, we will be a traitor to this game we all love.”
Calling on FIFA’s members to unite against prejudice, he said “We can defeat it and we have to do it.
“Suspension and empty stadiums are not enough,” he said, warning that FIFA could expel, relegate or dock points from teams that are linked to discriminatory behaviour.
Blatter’s hard line rhetoric on discrimination echoes remarks he made to the Confederation of African Football on Monday, when he described the latest wave of allegations of corruption as a “storm against FIFA”.
His response to allegations made by the UK’s Sunday Times that FIFA Executive Committee members were bribed into voting was to say that the western media is prejudiced.
“Sadly there’s a great deal of discrimination and racism and this hurts me. It really makes me sad,” he told the Confederation of African Football on Monday.
This accusation riled the European football community further still, with UEFA executive committee members Michael van Praag and David Gill having called for Blatter’s resignation.
However, Blatter is expected to announce later in the FIFA Congress that he will not step down in 2015, as he once stated, but that he will stand for a fifth term as president.
“Football is not just a game; it is a multi-billion dollar business. I don’t know if that is good or not. It creates controversial situations and then some difficulties. In this changing world little is beyond the reach of politics and economics,” he said.
As for future of football, the boundaries are limitless. “We shall wonder if one day our game is played on another planet. Then we will have not only a World Cup we will have inter-planetary competitions. Why not?”
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Respect cultural differences, Qatar 2022 implores
Qatar is looking forward to welcoming in the world in 2022 but international football fans must return this hospitality by respecting the culture of the host nation, a senior organiser told HOST CITY magazine.
“2022 will be about bringing people together and if people give us a chance, we will prove this will be the World Cup that will change their hearts and minds,” said Yasir Al-Jamal, deputy general secretary of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.
“Part of our culture has always been about showing people our hospitality. As a country we will be proud to do that and as a region with so much to offer, we will be proud to welcome the world.”
Drinking alcohol will be permitted during the World Cup but public displays of affection will be deemed inappropriate.
“Alcohol or public displays of affection are not part of our culture; however, hospitality most certainly is. In recognizing that, alcohol is available in Qatar and fans will be able to have a drink at the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” said Al-Jamal.
“Everyone has their beliefs and cultures. We welcome and respect that. All we ask is that other people do the same for us.”
In the exclusive interview, Al-Jamal points out that one of Qatar’s primary motivations in hosting the World Cup is to break down preconceptions about the Middle East.
“We always saw the tournament as the opportunity to build bridges between East and West,” he said.
“So often this part of the world is misunderstood. To utilise the power of football to alter people’s perceptions of the Middle East is something to be proud of.”
In the interview, Al-Jamal also discussed the issues of venue sustainability and temperature control.
To read the full interview with Al-Jamal and much more unique, exclusive content, register to receive the next issue of HOST CITY magazine.
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Blatter to open Soccerex as FIFA ethics report lands
President Blatter, the head of world football’s governing body FIFA, will deliver a formal address to Soccerex delegates on Monday 8th September, the organisers have confirmed. This will be Blatter’s ninth Soccerex appearance over the past 19 years.
His appearance at Soccerex Global Convention comes at a significant time in relation to the investigation by FIFA prosecutor Michael Garcia into the bidding process for the Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cups, with the investigatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee recently stating that “we expect to deliver our report to the adjudicatory chamber by the first week of September 2014”.
In a one-to-one interview with Jeff Powell of the Daily Mail, Blatter will also address the latest issues affecting the global game and looking back on a fantastic FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
“FIFA and their President have always been enthusiastic supporters of Soccerex, but welcoming President Blatter to another event is always a huge honour for me,” said Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie.
“The interview is set to be one of the most important sessions in the history of Soccerex and will command a huge media presence all over the world.”
The Soccerex Global Convention kicks off with the Football Festival on 6-7th September, with the conference starting on Monday 8th September. A packed international exhibition and a programme of networking and social events complete the schedule for the world leading football business event.
For more information about Soccerex please visit http://www.soccerex.com/global or call +44 (0)20 8987 5522 or email enquiry@soccerex.com -
Drop the secret ballot says FIFA ExCo Moya Dodd
The influential ExCo member Moya Dodd, told HOST CITY that FIFA needs to make its host city election process more transparent by removing the secrecy around voting.
And in the wake of Sepp Blatter’s confirmation that he will stand for a fifth term as FIFA president, more executive committee members have publicly backed suggestions that limits should be imposed on terms of office.
Asked by HOST CITY at Soccerex Global Convention whether increasing the number of people with the right to vote would improve perceptions of FIFA, Dodd said “The more important measure would be to make voting open.
“If people are answerable for how they voted, it’s visible, it’s clear who they supported, then there’s no suggestion that there are multiple promises for a single vote. I think it would do a lot to rid the process of those sort of suspicions, if it was open voting.”
FIFA’s 27 executive committee members currently have the right to vote on the issues that govern world football. Just 22 people were eligible to cast votes for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, as compared to the 94 IOC members that elected the host city of the 2020 Olympic Games.
Another concern is that football’s world leaders are able to govern for an indefinite length of time. On Monday, FIFA’s 78-year old president Sepp Blatter confirmed in a video presentation to Soccerex Global Convention that he would stand for a historic fifth term.
On the same day, FIFA Vice President Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein told the press that he supports time limits on terms of office – while stressing that Blatter has every right to stand again under the current rules.
“The process of reform within FIFA needs to continue and eventually we should look at instigating term limits and maybe not just for the FIFA president but also for executive committee members as well, including myself,” Prince Ali said.
Speaking at Soccerex on Tuesday, Moya Dodd, who is vice president of the Asian Football Confederation as well as a FIFA ExCo member, said “In Asia we have a limit on age and terms. I think term limits are healthy. Age limits are discriminatory and not the best way to ensure turnover anyway.”
Jim Boyce, who at 70 is eight years younger than Sepp Blatter, said “I am in favour of an age limit and a time limit. I honestly feel that if someone has three terms – that’s 12 years – or an age of 75, then they have made a good contribution and it’s time for someone else to contribute.”
As well as the issues of age and tenure, FIFA is tackling a gender imbalance – a drive that began with Dodd’s appointment last year.
“It’s inevitable that more women become involved in the game and will be a strong part of the management of sporting enterprises,” said Dodd.
Uefa president Michel Platini has decided not to stand against Sepp Blatter and it is not clear who might challenge Sepp Blatter to the presidency. Michele D’Hooghe, FIFA ExCo Member, told delegates at Soccerex “Michel Platini gave a very positive message to the last meeting of the presidential general secretaries of FIFA in Monaco at end of August. He didn’t say ‘I don’t go for FIFA’; he said ‘I choose for UEFA’.”
To find out more about potential changes to bidding procedures for major events including the FIFA World Cup, register for HOST CITY: BID TO WIN, which takes place in London on 28th October 2014 -
Italy’s Supercoppa to be held in Doha
Lega Serie A, the governing body of the top division of Italian football, has announced that Doha will host the game between Serie A champion Juventus and Coppa Italia holder Napoli on December 22.
Serie A president Maurizio Beretta said that the agreement is for this year’s game only at present. He added at the press conference to announce the deal in Paris, France: “We are grateful for the opportunity to be able to export our Supercoppa to an interesting and prestigious country like Qatar.”
The announcement comes with Fifa continuing to debate when Qatar will stage its World Cup. Last month, football’s global governing body put forward January/February 2022 and November/December 2022 as alternative dates, as opposed to the tournament’s traditional June/July slot.
Fifa has previously said that the World Cup should be moved to the winter to enable players and spectators to cope with the stifling summer temperatures in the Middle East. The local organising committee has repeatedly insisted that it is prepared to stage the tournament in its normal summer window by using air conditioned stadia. Fifa’s taskforce on the matter is scheduled to meet again in November.
The Supercoppa Italiana has traditionally marked the opening of the Italian football season, but the league has taken it to a variety of markets in recent years. The Supercoppa Italiana was held in Beijing in 2009, 2011 and 2012; New York in 2003; the Libyan capital of Tripoli in 2002 and Washington D.C. in 1993.
Juventus won the 2013 Supercoppa, defeating Coppa Italia holder Lazio 4-0 in Rome. -
Emirates ends sponsorship as FIFA plans Winter World Cup
Just as a FIFA taskforce met in Zurich on Monday to review options for the timings of the 2022 World Cup, it emerged that Emirates airline would not be renewing its sponsorship contract with football’s international governing body.
“This decision was made following an evaluation of FIFA’s contract proposal which did not meet Emirates’ expectations,” Emirates said in a statement on Monday.
A FIFA spokesperson said Emirates had informed them two years ago that Brazil 2014 would be the last World Cup it would sponsor, as the airline was changing its strategy to focus on more frequent smaller events around the world instead of a mega-event every four years.
Qatar Airlines is said to be waiting in the wings to take over the role of official carrier for FIFA. Sony are also reported to be putting an end to their sponsorship, with Olympic TOP sponsors Samsung being mentioned as likely contenders to occupy this space.
Emirates chose to make the news public at a time when FIFA is tackling the tricky issue of how to host the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 without risking the health of players and fans, while also minimising disruption to national league fixtures.
“We are getting closer to narrowing the dates for the FIFA World Cup to two options – January/February 2022 or November/December 2022 – but FIFA has also been asked to consider May 2022,” said FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke.
Hosting the World Cup in January/February would almost certainly result in the event clashing with the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, for which Almaty and Beijing are currently candidate cities.
The May option was put forward by the European Club Association, who have proposed that the tournament could take place from April 28 to May 29 without disrupting domestic fixtures.
However, FIFA’s chief medical officer Professor Ji?í Dvo?ák highlighted medical concerns relating to player safety and fan safety if the FIFA World Cup were to be held between May and September. Valcke also pointed out that the month-long period of Ramadan would begin on 2 April in 2022, which would impact on preparations for the tournament.
Hassan Al Thawadi, CEO of the local organising committee said the preferred scenario was for the World Cup to be held in the winter, while affirming that it remained fully committed to delivering what was promised in its bid and organising the best possible event whatever is decided.
The taskforce is due to hold its next meeting in early 2015 after further consultation.
“The objective of today’s meeting was to receive feedback from all parties and to work on narrowing the options,” said Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. -
Qatar 2022 stadium design meets tough cooling targets
The organisers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, unveiled the latest stadium design today, with details of the cooling technologies described by lead architect Mark Fenwick as a “challenge” to incorporate.
The Qatar Foundation Stadium is the fourth stadium design to be revealed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, who announced the plans on the anniversary of Qatar winning the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The venue, based in Education City on the outskirts of Doha, will be combined with a Health and Wellness Precinct and educational programmes.
“Designing the Qatar Foundation Stadium was a unique challenge as it incorporates the innovative cooling technologies being developed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy,” said Mark Fenwick, lead architect for RFA Fenwick Iribarren Architects.
According to the Supreme Committee, the design will create a comfortable environment for football. “Pitch and spectator terraces are cooled to the target temperatures; the players’ and spectators’ comfort levels will meet and exceed FIFA requirements and guidelines for safe play and spectating.”
The stadium is to be cooled using chilled water from the local air conditioning network combined with an innovative roof design.
The opening in the stadium roof is designed as a cavity, to act as a wind break and slow down the movement of hot air outside the roof. This process is passive and consumes no energy, helping to reduce the building’s overall energy consumption by reducing the amount of cool conditioned air escaping.
The active cooling system used by the stadium will take in chilled water from Education City’s existing district cooling network.
The high energy consumption of air conditioning will be further offset by photovoltaic and reflective technologies to produce energy for electricity and hot water. Photovoltaic and solar thermal panels are proposed to power the stadium, swimming pool and indoor pavilion.
According to the Supreme Committee, photovoltaic and solar thermal panels could be placed on the stadium roof.
The developers are aiming for a Gold Sustainability Building Certification in the US Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings system.
To attain this, at least 20 per cent of all materials used is proposed to come from sustainable sources. 50 per cent of all wood-based materials are to be procured from sustainable forestry sources, while 20 per cent of all materials are to be sourced regionally in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint of logistics.
The construction is being managed by Qatar Foundation’s Capital Projects Directorate, which is setting its own standards in workers’ welfare, based on the Supreme Committee’s recommendations.
“With the exception of the early works contractor, who was awarded prior to the release of the QF Mandatory Standards of Migrant Workers’ Welfare (QF Standards), all contractors and sub-contractors working on this project will be contractually required to comply with the QF Standards,” says the Supreme Committee.
“Both sets of standards—which are based on Qatari labour law and international best practices—establish minimum requirements that protect the rights of workers from recruitment to repatriation.
“The SC and QF Standards are very similar and only differ in terms of the accommodation specifications.”
The stadium is scheduled for completion in 2018 with a capacity of 40,000 seats to host matches up to and including the quarter-final stage of the World Cup in 2022. The stadium will be reconfigured to 15,000 seats after the World Cup.
The members-only Health & Wellness Precinct will incorporate medical clinics and sports facilities, football pitches, gymnasiums, tennis courts and facilities for non-traditional sports such as climbing as well healthy restaurants and cafes.
“Through innovative design, sustainably-sourced materials and the latest cooling and energy-efficient technology, the Qatar Foundation Stadium and Health & Wellness Precinct will not only allow us to host an amazing FIFA World Cup but also leave a genuine legacy in Qatar well beyond 2022,” said Ghanim Al Kuwari, Competition Venues Director at the Supreme Committee.
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Qatari air quality tech chosen for 2022 World Cup venues
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy – the organisation in charge of building and kitting out venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup – has has signed a contract with Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC) to adopt its Hawa’ak air quality monitoring system.
QMIC has fully developed Hawa’ak to monitor air quality, weather, climate and other environmental conditions in real time. Using an “Internet of Things” platform, it allows users to access this information via multiple channels including mobile delivery, and web portals.
Hawa’ak takes advantage of a new generation of mobile sensor stations that can be distributed across a wide area to deliver localised and personalised air quality information.
“We believe that carefully monitoring environment and air quality conditions is a critical part of building and maintaining proposed host venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar,” said Yasir Al Jamal, acting assistant secretary general for delivery affairs at the Supreme Committee.
“We are very pleased to have selected the Hawa’ak system from QMIC to furnish our stadiums with weather & air quality monitoring stations.”
The Supreme Committee is keen to use the World Cup as an opportunity to develop a range of industries within the host nation. In addition to delivering sports infrastructure, the Supreme Committee aims to boost the development of Qatar’s private sector and streamline regulations.
“We believe that utilizing innovative technologies and systems that are developed in Qatar will help in creating sustainable new industries, which support our strategy of creating a legacy in the country,” said Al Jamal.
The collected, processed and refined weather and air quality information will be accessible to the Supreme Committee and its subsidiaries through a range of channels such as web portals, mobile applications, hard copy reports, and alerts among others.
The Supreme Committee says this information will contribute to building a rich bank of data that will drive the creation of new services and applications optimised for enterprises, government agencies and consumers.
“We would like to thank the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy for putting their trust in us,” said Dr. Adnan Abu-Dayya, executive director of QMIC. “All along, QMIC has focused on developing and deploying intelligent systems and services to support the needs of important market segments in Qatar including environment, transportation, and road safety. Our strategic partnership with SC will help us scale up our plans and achieve our goals faster in the field of environment.”