Al-Thawadi - Qatar plan to have the stadium ready by 2015

http://www.demotix.com/news/906949/al-thawadi-qatar-plan-have-stadium-ready-2015


Qatar is trying to pour cold water on the summer heat concerns. Innovative cooling technology is one area the Arab nation is banking on to deliver a perfect FIFA World Cup in 2022. Doha, Qatar.


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Qatar, the same oil-rich country which won a surprise vote of the FIFA Executive Committee to host the 2022 edition of the football World Cup has been under a barrage of attacks before the bid. The criticism has not stopped after its victory. Issues of alcohol and homo-sexuality both which go against the teachings of Islam, were raked up its critics. Another concern is the hot summer of June-July period in Qatar, where temperature goes high as 50 degrees centigrade, a time when the World Cup is held.

Qatar is trying to pour cold water on the summer heat concerns. Innovative cooling technology is one area the Arab nation is banking on to deliver a perfect FIFA World Cup in 2022. The cooling technology and the possibility of rebuilding some of the stadiums were two major elements of the bid, which clinched the deal for Qatar.

Many people are burning the midnight lamp in Qatar to deliver a perfect baby; one of them is Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, Hassan Abdullah Al-Thawadi, in a recent interview to Coliseum Magazine says that the first stadium will be ready in 2015.

“Cooling technologies and modular stadiums are both key elements in our hosting concept and we plan to forge ahead in developing and implementing these ideas. Our technological innovation and the legacies that will be created were key factors in our winning bid,” Al-Thawadi.

“We are committed to building nine new stadiums and redeveloping three existing stadiums. All the stadiums will have environmentally friendly cooling technologies to ensure cool and comfortable temperatures for players and supporters — about 27 degrees Celsius. Nine of the stadiums will be built with modular components, with 170,000 seats being donated after the FIFA World Cup in 2022 to countries in need of sporting infrastructure,” he added.
Qatar is due to start construction of the first stadium by next year and finish it by 2015. During the bidding process Qatar pledged to build nine new stadiums and redevelop three existing stadiums. The plan is to host the World Cup in 2022 with twelve stadiums.

“The cooling technologies will also be shared with countries that have similar climates to Qatar, to provide opportunities for such countries to host events that would previously have been unable to due to climate difficulties. These are the ideas we consider as serious and they provide a genuine legacy for football, opening up possibilities for new regions of the world,” Al-Thawadi.
said.

“Our plan is to have our first stadium in place by 2015. At the moment we are not disclosing which stadium will be the first to be constructed. Khalifa Stadium in its current form is a fantastic amphitheater for live football as seen during this year’s AFC Asian Cup and the high-profile international friendlies that have been played in front of capacity crowds—Brazil v England in November 2009 and Argentina v Brazil in November 2010. Our plan is to increase the capacity to approximately 68,000 seats from the current 50,000 and to further develop the facilities in and around the ground to ensure it is compatible and compliant for
2022,” Al-Thawadi said.

The Local Organizing Committee has been established and incorporated legally since January 2010 as per the requirements set out by FlFA during the bidding stage. The Local Organizing Committee will have the responsibility of marketing, organizing and staging the FlFA World Cup.

“The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee is a body that was formed with the purpose of ensuring successful and timely delivery of all vital projects that are necessary to host an amazing 2022 FIFA World Cup and to ensure a lasting legacy for many generations to come. While the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee will be directly responsible for delivering the stadia and training facilities for the FIFA World Cup, it will have more of an oversight role with other important projects which relate to hosting the FIFA World Cup. Hotels, roads infrastructure, the metro network system are just a few examples. While all these projects have their relevant authorities which are responsible for their delivery it is important for the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee to stay abreast of developments and to keep an open dialogue with these authorities,” Al-Thawadi said.

“The Supreme Committee is in the process of establishing a relationship with a Programme Management Consultant (PMC). The PMC should be on board by the end of 2011. The PMC and the Supreme Committee will work together to create the Road Map until 2022 and beyond. The Supreme Committee will bring on board consultants, contractors and suppliers when the Road Map identifies us to.”

The Urban Planning Department is working hard to get the new Qatar master plan approved. The infrastructure and all the venues have to be integrated, he said.

“This is one main reason for the establishment of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee. It is very important to remember that the Qatar Master Plan is going ahead; also it is important to note that the FIFA World Cup plans are complimentary to everything that is in the pipeline which relates to the Qatar Master Plan. Therefore, it is important that a body encapsulates all these plans coherently and the composition of our board is indicative of bringing all the responsible authorities on the same table to ensure maximum cohesion.”

Qatar is trying to do a good balancing act between costs of construction and operating stadiums in their pursuit of landmark stadiums with an extraordinary design.

“Our stadiums’ design process will bring design consultants, cost specialists, planners, contractors and operators at early stages; they will take into consideration our climate, our geography, our traditions, avant-garde technologies, environmental and socio-economic sustainability, effective operations and costs, post tournament uses, modularity, construction efficiency, FIFA requirements, and soon. Implementation of all these aspects in the design stages will guarantee having innovative and amazing designs without compromising our vision.

"Additionally, I think we have found the perfect balance between investment, innovation and legacy. We have budgeted carefully in planning stadiums that are at once multi- functional and football-specific — providing ideal venues for players and supporters. During the bidding process we worked tirelessly to cover all the angles and we will continue with the same ethos before, during and after 2022. We will work closely with all government departments to ensure coordination and efficiency across the board.”

“We were one of only two bidding nations that decided from the outset to bid solely for 2022 and opted
not to enter the 2018 bidding process. We were and remain fully aware of the scale of what lies in front of us. We have planned meticulously since day one of the bidding process and the work started the day after we were awarded the tournament on December 2, 2010. The country is united behind us — the government had provided full backing across all departments and we are confident that we can deliver a fantastic World Cup in 2022.”

Al-Thawadi says that Qatar hosting the Handball World Championship 2015 and several other large-scale events before the World Cup will be a learning experience for the major stake holders of the country.

“Hosting these events can only be seen as a positive. Qatar has a history of hosting major sports events, most recently the AFC Asian Cup in January of this year and the Asian Games in 2006, in addition to numerous major annual sporting events. Every one of these events is an opportunity to showcase the country and its ability to successfully host major events. Hosting high-calibre sporting events between now and 2022 will be a confidence-building exercise locally and internationally, enhancing Qatar’s reputation as a sporting hub in the Middle East and Asia. Every event that is hosted in Qatar is also a learning experience for us across many sectors, from tourism and hospitality to construction, event management and marketing. This can only be advantageous to us in preparing to host the world in 2022.”