The world's attention will turn to the city of Al Khor, north of the Qatari capital, Doha, on 13 November, as the Gulf country will open the second largest stadium for the 2022 World Cup, Al Bayt Stadium, hosting its first game between Qatar and Bahrain. The stadium, which has a capacity of 60,000 spectators, will join the five stadiums ready to host the 2022 World Cup, namely Khalifa International Stadium, Al Janoub, Education City, Ahmed Bin Ali, and Al Thumama, in addition to Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, which is scheduled to open by the start of the Arab Cup championship. Al Bayt Stadium will host five matches in the Arab Cup, including the final match on 18 December, coinciding with Qatar's National Day celebrations. The stadium is an architectural edifice that bears witness to the authentic Arab culture in Qatar and the region. Al Bayt Stadium is located in the city of Al Khor, about 46 km north of the capital, Doha, and has a unique design that reflects the authentic Arab culture. Sustainability in the design and construction One of the most important features of Al Bayt Stadium is its celebration of originality and modernity at the same time. A giant tent structure will cover the entire stadium, which embodies the authentic traditions in Qatar and the region. The stadium was designed to include the best modern technologies that will contribute to enriching the experience of fans and players, and for everyone to enjoy an exceptional football experience, especially the advanced cooling technology. The stadium will host the opening match of the FIFA World Cup on 21 November 2022 and eight fixtures right through to the semi-finals. Al Bayt Stadium embodies Qatar's commitment to the best standards of sustainability in the world, and ensures the building of a sustainable legacy for the tournament that will benefit future generations after the World Cup. Following the World Cup, the seats in the upper stands are to be dismantled to reduce the stadium's capacity to 32,000, and those seats will be used in the construction of sports facilities inside and outside Qatar. Beside that; inspired by the true shape of the traditional tent structure, the light canopy and the retractable roof enhance the air-cooling technology throughout the stadium without the need to use additional sources of energy generation or consume more energy, while allowing sunlight to reach the stadium's ground lawn. Al Bayt Stadium succeeded in obtaining a five-star certificate in design and construction, in addition to an A-class evaluation in construction practices from the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) of the Gulf Organization for Research and Development, in addition to the certificate of compliance with energy efficiency standards, which embodies the efforts to achieve the highest standards of sustainability in the design and construction of World Cup stadiums and hosting a sustainable version of the World Cup. A community destination Qatar has taken into account the aspirations of the residents of Al Khor city when designing and building Al Bayt Stadium. The upper stands, after dismantling their seats in the post-tournament legacy stage, will turn into several facilities that benefit the residents of the city and the surrounding areas. In this context, the Sky Box suites in Al Bayt Stadium will be converted into a five-star hotel, in addition to converting parts of the stands into a shopping mall, food court, gym and multi-purpose hall. After the World Cup, the stadium will also include a branch of a hospital specializing in sports medicine. The parks formed an essential part of the design plan for the area surrounding the stadium, giving the families of the city and the surrounding areas the opportunity to spend fun times amidst the green spaces that extend over about 400,000 square meters, the equivalent of the size of 30 football fields. The National Sports Day in 2020 witnessed the opening of the Al Bayt Stadium Park, which includes running and cycling tracks, a children's play area, and a number of cafes and restaurants. Cooperation between local and international companies A number of prestigious companies participated in the construction of Al Bayt Stadium, and the main contractor of the project included Julphar Al-Misnad Qatar Company and two Italian companies, Salini Impregilo Group and Shmulai Company, to carry out the construction work of the stadium and the energy centre, while Q International Consultants assumed the overall supervision of the work on the project site Two Qatari companies, Bin Omran Trading and Contracting, and Al Sulaiteen Agricultural and Industrial, were responsible for providing green spaces and works below ground level. The project started with Dar Al-Handasah, which assumed the role of design consultant, while the project management work was assigned during the initial phase to Projacs.
