Egyptian football club Al Ahly has received approval to begin work on a new stadium on the outskirts of Cairo.
The announcement was made yesterday (Sunday) by club president Mahmoud El Khatib, who confirmed that support has been given for the project by the relevant national governing bodies. Work on the stadium is now set to begin on May 1.
Specific details on the cost and capacity of the new stadium have not been revealed but the club has long held plans for a new 60,000-seat facility, which would become the third largest venue in Egypt after the 86,000-capacity Borg El-Arab and the 74,100-seat Cairo International Stadium.
Al Ahly confirmed a conceptual design for a new stadium back in 2018. At the time it was reported that design firm Populous would take a lead on the project.
In August last year, Al Ahly moved into the 30,000-seat Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo and subsequently renamed the venue Al-Ahly Stadium. Al Ahly had previously reached a contractual agreement with Egyptian sports development agency Estadat to use the stadium for a period of 25 years, with one of the terms being that the club could rebrand the venue.
The 30,000-seat Al-Ahly Stadium is effectively serving as a temporary home for the club while plans continue to be drawn up for the new 60,000-seat venue. The club also plays some matches at Cairo International Stadium.
Image: Saiflee100/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size
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