The stadiums of Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid

Al Shamal Stadium

As the football loving world braces itself for the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, countries are still submitting plans and upgrading their infrastructure in a bid to host future tournaments. The 2022 FIFA World Cup in particular has generated a large amount of interest from the likes of Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, who have both invested heavily in transport links and sports stadiums in order to possibly host the 'biggest sporting event in the world'.

If Qatar wins the 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, they plan to build five stadiums, each of which will boast a different distinctive feature, be it "a specially designed membrane to present current match footage, updates and tournament information, or an entrance linked to the Qatar-Bahrain Friendship Bridge, which is set to be the longest free-standing bridge in the world."

Each one has either been inspired by a specific element of Qatari culture and tradition, or acts as a symbol to the rest of the world of the relationship that Qatar shares with the competing nations.

Of course, in order to make the sites as renewable as possible, Qatar has stated that it will make all the sites solar-powered so as utilise as much sunshine as possible. There are also plans to utilise innovative climate control technology so as to lower the temperature in the stadiums to below 28°C, making Qatar's 2022 World Cup the first ever cooled outdoor sporting event.

Qatar's proposed stadiums

Designed by Albert Speer & Partner GmbH, the stadiums have been designed to be as striking as possible, boasting striking and dramatic facades and incorporating state-of-the-art technology in an effort to stand out from the crowd bidding to host this popular tournament.

The stadiums are;

The Al Rayyan Stadium

Currently situated 20km northwest of the capital, Doha, the stadium will be adapted in order to surround it with a membrane-like structure onto which will be projected match updates, tournament information and other filmic material. Its current capacity it set to be doubled in size by incorporating additional modular components to increase capacity to 44,740.

The Al Gharafa Stadium

Close to Doha, the stadium's existing capacity will, like Al Rayyan's, be doubled to 44,740 utilising a modular upper tier stand. The exterior facade of the existing stadium is to be transformed into a vivid explosion of colour, with ribbon-like elements woven around the circumference of the structure, displaying all the colours of the competing teams, to symbolise the "friendship, mutual tolerance and respect of the FIFA World Cup and Qatar."

The Al Shamal Stadium

Inspired by local fishing boats known as 'dhows', the Al Shamal stadium features a dramatic façade sweeping up at opposite ends, creating an impressively powerful and intimidating structure. Due to its location at the north of Qatar, around 10 percent of visitors are predicted to arrive via the world's longest free-standing bridge - the Qatar-Bahrain Friendship Bridge, once it is finished.

The Al Wakrah Stadium

Not only a stadium, but also an extensive sports complex, including a multi-purpose hall, themed swimming-pool, spa zone and shopping mall alongside the obvious sports facilities. The entrance to the 45,000-seater stadium will face onto a stunning plaza, making Al Wakrah a form of 'sporting park'.

The Al Khor Stadium

With a seashell-inspired asymmetrical design, the unique looking stadium will be set in landscaped gardens and is set to hold 45,330 football fans. A flexible roof will provide shade from Qatar's intense sunshine for the spectators.

In a statement, Qatar 2022 Chief Executive, Hassan Abdulla Al Thawadi, said: "All our state-of-the-art stadia will be linked to a brand new metro system and totally integrated with a comprehensive shuttle bus network, allowing fans to travel to games by public transport. Fans will be able to watch more than one game in a day while staying in the same accommodation throughout the tournament. We have also designed our new stadia with legacy front of mind and, with their modular design, can be reduced in size after the World Cup to fit local football and community requirements and, in some cases, transported abroad for permanent use. What we have unveiled today is just a foretaste of the much wider plans we will be unveiling in the coming weeks."

The decision on who will host the tournament will be made in December this year. 11 nations are bidding for the honour, but if these stadiums are anything to go by Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid could be in the bag.

Relevant articles:

How the 2022 World Cup is improving MENA infrastructure | Dubai 2020 Olympics | Abu Dhabi's Mega-Sports Stadium | Renewable energy in football stadiums | How the World Cup fuels infrastructure investment

Timon Singh

Timon Singh is a graduate of Liverpool University where he received a degree in Social and Economic History. He has previously worked for BBC Magazines on BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, the publication for the popular genealogy show.

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