A delegation of French businesses visited the Al Wakrah Stadium, saying the unique Zaha Hadid-designed proposed host venue of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar will turn out to be a pillar of the county’s economic legacy.
The stadium’s design is inspired by the traditional dhow boats used by pearl divers from the region. Upon completion, the future home of Qatar Stars League (QSL) side Al Wakrah Sports Club will be surrounded by a legacy precinct of around 560,000 square metres including a new sports centre and community hub.
The group of 10 French businesses, drawn from various sectors such as sports equipment, sustainability, media technology and pyrotechnics, visited the construction site of the 40,000-seater proposed host venue up to the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The 29-member delegation witnessed first-hand the progress of the rapidly advancing substructure works at the stadium. They were given a presentation by Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) Al Wakrah Project manager Engineer Thani al-Zarraa and taken on a site tour.
Al-Zarraa said: “Al Wakrah Stadium project team are always looking forward to receiving international delegations and showcasing this project and its progress on the ground. It is also essential to interact with international businesses as they open new frontiers of collaboration, opportunities and knowledge transfer.”
The head of the Qatar edition of Business France, Christelle Peyran, said: “We were really impressed at the on-site maintenance of quality standards, including in the recovery and recycling aspects. The Zaha Hadid-designed venue will, for sure, become a masterpiece of Qatar’s economic legacy.”
The stadium will be reduced in legacy mode to 20,000 seats, with the upper tiers sent to developing countries in need of sporting infrastructure.
(SC.qa)
