Qatar has unveiled the name and design of a new 60,000-seater stadium in Al Khor ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The ‘Al Bayt’ Stadium in Al Khor will be modeled after the traditional black and white tents used by the nomadic people of the region. For those passing through the desert, the presence of this tent symbolized hospitality. It will also includes retail space, restaurants and new landscaped paths for residents to use as horseriding, cycling and jogging tracks. There will also be dedicated women-only facilities.
Inside the tent, the red-patterned sadu fabric will represent the traditional Qatari textile design to the international visitors and remind the local community of the heritage and tradition of producing sadu fabric, which is also reflected inside the stadium.
After the 2022 World Cup, the tier will be removed and the capacity of the stadium will be reduced to 32,000 seats. In consultation with FIFA and the global football community, the removed seats will be reconfigured and donated to other countries to leave a legacy for international football development.
The stadium has been designed by Dar Al Handasah and is the second venue to start construction after the controversial Al-Wakrah stadium, which has been designed by Zaha Hadid.
Three more stadiums are expected to break ground in Qatar by the end of this year, with plans to build 10 in total by 2022.
