Design & Development

Tender launched for major rebuild of Morocco’s Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium

Featured image credit: Stade Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan, Rabat/Facebook

The Moroccan Sports Ministry has launched a process to select a company to carry out an MAD800m (£63m/$80m/€75m) rebuild of Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.

The venue currently has a capacity of 12,000 seats but is due to be increased to 22,000 as a result of the reconstruction which will also see all seating covered to protect from the elements.

The existing stadium, which was last renovated in 2012, is set to be demolished with the new area covering approximately 2.7 hectares.

“The client seeks to give a unique identity to the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat,” read a statement on the project.

“With regard to the design of the roof and the appearance of the facades of the stadium, it is necessary to put in place special efforts, while ensuring that the proposed solution is technically feasible and financially viable.

“Furthermore, as a public facility, the stadium must integrate harmoniously into its urban environment through an appropriate design of its envelope and its exterior spaces.”

As well as the stadium rebuild, the project includes a natural grass play area for children, under-stand areas, a forecourt and outdoor facilities, and VIP boxes and seating.

The call for tenders specifies that the stadium must be designed so that the seats are as close as possible to the pitch. 

The stadium is currently occupied by Moroccan First Division football club Fath Union Sport, but no plans of a temporary relocation have been communicated by the club for when the rebuild takes place.

Morocco is set to co-host the FIFA World Cup in 2030 alonogside Portugal and Spain, and as a result is building or renovating seven of stadiums although the Prince Moulay El Hassan is not part of this.

A deal was signed between the country’s government and state-owned fund CDG to finance the building of a new stadium in Benslimane, near Casablanca, at a cost of around $500m.

The other stadiums to be renovated are in the cities of Agadir, Casablanca Fez, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier.