Al Thumama Stadium is to become the sixth of eight Qatar 2022 stadiums to be deemed fully operational when it hosts this year’s rescheduled Amir Cup Final.
The newly completed 40,000-seat arena will stage the Qatari club knockout competition final between Al Sadd and Al Rayyan on October 22, with ticket details and stadium capacity for the fixture still to be confirmed. Currently, a limited number of fans are allowed to attend outdoor sports events as long as they are vaccinated.
The Amir Cup Final was initially scheduled to take place on 14 May at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium but was postponed due to COVID-related concerns.
“The Amir Cup is a prestigious and hugely popular tournament, and games between Al-Sadd and Al-Rayyan have always attracted a lot of fans,” Qatar Football Association (QFA) said in a statement.
Al Thumama Stadium was designed by Qatari architect Ibrahim M. Jaidah, chief architect of the Arab Engineering Bureau, and will host matches up to and including the quarter final at the FIFA World Cup 2022. The stadium will also host matches up to and including the semi final at this year’s FIFA Arab Cup 2021, which is to be staged in December.
Khalifa International, Al Janoub, Education City, Ahmad Bin Ali and Al Bayt stadiums are all deemed to be ready more than a year ahead of the Qatar 2022 tournament.
Al Thumama Stadium’s main contractor was a joint venture between Qatari company Al Jaber Engineering and Tekfen Construction, a Turkish firm. The Al Thumama district is situated in Doha’s southern suburbs, 12km from Hamad International Airport.
In announcing plans for the stadium in 2017, Jaidah said: “The design is a nod to the past, while offering an exciting glimpse into Qatar’s tomorrow. In Qatari culture, the gahfiya forms an important part of every young boy’s pathway to adulthood.
“This rite of passage inspired my vision for the stadium’s design. It is an arena that symbolises Qatar’s youth and its emergence as a major player on the global sporting scene, ready to welcome the world in 2022.”
