Work gets underway at Al Rayyan Stadium: some 5 five weeks ahead of schedule

Engineer Youssif Al-Musleh, Competition Venues Deputy Executive Director at the Technical Delivery Office of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), highlighted the importance of reaching this milestone at Al Rayyan Stadium:

We are pleased with the progress being made today on the site of Al Rayyan Stadium, which will be the home of Al Rayyan Sports Club, with one of the biggest fan bases in Qatar. Following the recent completion of the training sites for the team, the concrete pouring today is another significant step forward towards the completion of the stadium by 2019.

Over 100,000 m³ of concrete and 6,700 tonnes of structural steel will be used during this phase of the project. The area surrounding the stadium has also seen major progress in recent weeks with the completion of excavation for the metro by Qatar Rail. Works on the road connecting the stadium with the nearby mall and other services surrounding the precinct are also nearing completion.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) appointed the joint venture of L & T and Qatar’s Al Balagh Trading and Contracting as the main contractor on the 40,000-seater stadium back in June.

 
Talking after the official event to mark the first pouring of concrete, L & T’s India-based Whole Time Director & Senior Executive Vice President (Buildings, Minerals & Metals), M. V. Satish, said that the joint venture was proud of the progress achieved to date on the project. He confirmed:

Our joint venture is glad that the first concrete pouring of this 2022 FIFA World Cup™ proposed host venue has been completed five weeks ahead of schedule.

 

L & T have a history of successfully delivering stadium projects across many countries ahead of schedule, and we are confident we will deliver Al Rayyan Stadium on time.

The Al Rayyan Stadium project is the first ever involvement in a FIFA World Cup™ project for L & T, India’s largest construction company, which has an impressive track record of constructing major sporting venues.

Satish advised:

We have been involved with the World Cup competitions of other sports, such as cricket, but the global appeal of the FIFA World Cup™ is unrivalled and we therefore attach great significance to the Al Rayyan project.

 
For L & T, building the new home of the Qatar Stars League (QSL) champions Al Rayyan SC coincides with the potential emergence of Indian football as a mass urban sport, as Satish explained:

Football is generating massive interest among the youth of India, and through the Al Rayyan project we are pleased to be one of the country’s global representatives for the sport.

India is also hosting its first-ever FIFA event [the FIFA Under-17 World Cup™] in 2017, and therefore Al Rayyan Stadium construction will have a futuristic resonance for L & T in India.

After the tournament, 20,000 modular seats in the top tier of the stadium will be dismantled and donated to countries in need of football infrastructure, contributing to the global development of football.

Al Rayyan is known for its love of history and local culture, as well as its hugely popular football team – Al Rayyan Sports Club. The close-knit community here is deeply committed to the team, whose new arena will host up to 40,000 fans at 2022 FIFA World Cup™ matches through to quarter-final stage. Al Rayyan will welcome football fans from around the world with open arms, eager to show them the rich culture of Qatar.

 
Built on the site of Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, the new Al Rayyan Stadium will incorporate symbols of Qatari culture into its spectacular undulating façade. The facilities surrounding the venue will also mirror the country, with sand dune-shaped structures recalling the beautifully wild lands to the west.

Sustainability is at the heart of Al Rayyan Stadium’s design, beginning with the deconstruction of the old stadium, with 90% of the materials resulting from the deconstruction being re-used. Some of the materials will be used by local and international artists to create works of public art which reflect the history of Al Rayyan Sports Club.

The local community was consulted about the design and legacy of this project with the SC making eight majlis visits in the area. The venue will serve in legacy as a hub for the local community, with the area surrounding the stadium including retail, and aquatics centre, walkways and a wedding hall.