Qatar unveils new designs for Khalifa stadium

Qatar has released new designs for its renovation of the Khalifa football and athletics stadium in Doha. The existing stadium is being adapted to meet new FIFA regulations. 

A joint venture between Midmac Contracting and Six Construct, a subsidiary of the Belgian Besix Group, are overseeing the works. The project manager will be Projacs and the design consultant will be Lebanese consultant Dar Al-Handasah. 

The stadium will host group and second round matches as well as the quarter finals. It will incorporate cooling technology to maintain a constant temperature of 26°C.

(The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy)

An olympics and sports museum will be added to the venue, and an extension to the east wing of the stadium will include food courts, shops, VIP lounges and a health centre. At present the stadium is only shaded on its western edge, but a single roof will be built to cover the whole seating area. 

Abdullatif Al Zayani, the secretary-general of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), said: "Having such a global tournament organised by a Gulf state will be a source of pride not only for the Gulf, but for all Arab countries as well.  

"Hosting the FIFA World Cup is a legitimate right for this region, and the GCC will always stand by Qatar to safeguard this right and make the World Cup happen." 

The Khalifa stadium was originally built in 1976 and upgraded for the 2006 Asian games.