Qatar inaugurates two FIFA World Cup stadiums on FIFA Arab Cup opening day
Gulf Times
The stunning Al Bayt Stadium – which will host the first match of next year’s FIFA World Cup – was unveiled by Qatar on the opening day of the FIFA Arab Cup.
The stunning Al Bayt Stadium – which will host the first match of next year’s FIFA World Cup – was unveiled by Qatar on the opening day of the FIFA Arab Cup. The 60,000-capacity venue – designed to resemble the tents historically used by nomadic people in the Gulf region – hosted Qatar’s 1-0 victory against Bahrain as the 16-team tournament got off to an exciting start.
The inauguration of Al Bayt was attended by the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, who officially announced the start of the tournament. “In the name of God and with God’s blessings, I declare the opening of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, wishing all national teams well. All Arabs are welcome to the Doha of all Arabs,” said His Highness.
Straight after Al Bayt’s inauguration, Stadium 974 also hosted its first game. The 40,000-capacity venue, made primarily from shipping containers, staged the United Arab Emirates’ 2-1 victory against Syria. Stadium 974 is the first fully demountable stadium in FIFA World Cup™ history and was named after the number of shipping containers used in its development and Qatar’s international dialling code. Elsewhere on the opening day, Tunisia defeated Mauritania 5-1 at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, while Iraq and Oman drew 1-1 at Al Janoub Stadium.
The FIFA Arab Cup opening ceremony was held prior to the match at Al Bayt – which means ‘the home’ in English – and included performances by Rahma Riad, Abdulaziz Louis and Cheb Khaled. The crowd also enjoyed a national anthem medley of all 23 countries involved in the tournament and qualifying, along with stunning choreography and a mesmerising pyrotechnics display.
