04 May 2016
State-of-the-art facility with 60,000 capacity to be named after Mohammad Bin Rashid

Dubai - WAM - A landmark stadium with a seating capacity of 60,000 will be set up at Dubai Club in Al Aweer, Dubai.

The stadium, which will cost Dh3 billion, will be named after His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Shaikh Mohammad expressed satisfaction at the project after being introduced to the stadium's innovative design as he inspected models of the stadium at the Meydan Hotel on Wednesday.

He was briefed by Mattar Al Tayer, vice-chairman of Dubai Sports Council, on the stadium, which will be unique for its design, total area and the use of the latest technologies in the implementation.  

The stadium is unique for its design and will add a new landmark imprint in Dubai as it will be the world's first high stadium with a half-ball shape.

Being fully air-conditioned, the stadium totally conforms to all specifications set by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (Fifa).

All elements of sustainability were taken into consideration as the stadium will have green, shaded areas that ensure the comfort of visitors.

The stadium, which will have 23,116 upper bleacher seats, 1,642 seats for VIP suite and another 8,941 VIP seats as well as other 6,688 lower bleacher seats, will be implemented by Perkins+Will, an American architecture and design firm.

It will also feature sport facilities, which include a warm up area, athletic training hall and 5,000 parking lots as well as sport museum stretching over 1,500 square metres.

It will also include a 3,500 square metre multi-purpose hall, exhibition halls and conference facilities as well as a long corridor, which will have many shops and restaurants, Al Tayer said

He said that all safety and security requirements of the spectators were taken into consideration.

Shaikh Mohammad praised the project and gave his directions to proceed with the project as scheduled.

The stadium, a sports museum and an award for sports performing schools are among the slew of initiatives launched by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), on the sidelines of the 'Sports Innovation Lab' on Wednesday.

Among other things launched will be an award in the name of Shaikh Hamdan for schools fostering best sports practices, another initiative for developing community sports to improve the health and happiness levels of society, the building of specialised clubs and sports complexes dedicated to women sports, a world-class specialised sports medicine centre and a sports museum documenting the sporting achievements of the UAE.

'Only way forward'

"This is the only way forward for us," Saeed Hareb, secretary-general of Dubai Sports Council, told Gulf News.

"Our leaders are always challenging us to reach heights that have never been touched before. Shaikh Hamdan has shown us the way."

Arif Al Awani, general secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), said that it is important for all like-minded nodal sports bodies from other emirates to break common ground with the DSC.

"We need this common thinking ground so that the entire country and its people benefit from an event like this [Sports Innovation Lab]. The strategy has to be unified as it involves the future of the UAE," Al Awani said.

Anas Bukhash, former chairman of the Professional League Committee (PLC) of the UAE Football Association (UAE FA), said that innovative ideas emanating from such modernistic events will only raise the level of thinking in the UAE.

'Sports an integral part'

"Today, sports plays a very integral part in the development of humanity. We are faced with very little choice but to adopt an active lifestyle for the general well-being of the human race. The findings of this lab today will help a long way in determining the sports strategy and the vision of the UAE," he said.

Nine-point plan

  • The Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium.

  • The Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Award for excellence in school sports.

  • The cessation of government funding for all football companies from 2021. They will be assisted by government to turn themselves around and augment their income as independent profit organisations.

  • The Shaikh Hamdan Initiative for Community Sport.

  • To make Dubai a Future Sports destination. In 2017, there will be an international competition, while there will be smaller competitions at club and school level to tap grass roots talent.

  • A state-of-the-art Dubai International Sports Medicine Centre.

  • Private and exclusive sport clubs and complexes for women in cooperation with the private sector.

  • A Dubai Sports Museum to record and archive the sporting achievements of the UAE.

  • A Champions of Academies Programme to produce top-class champions.

    Gulf News 2016