Despite the ongoing furore that has engulfed football's world governing body of late, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the agencny responsible for building the stadiums and infrastructure required for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, are pushing forward regardless.

"Unveiling the design of our third proposed World Cup host venue from Riyadh shows how much the World Cup is welcomed by all the countries and peoples of the region, especially Saudi Arabia, which has been supporting us since the early days of our bid," said Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

"It also demonstrates our determination and firm commitment to deliver on an amazing tournament, creating a lasting legacy for Qatar, the Gulf States and the whole region."

The new plans for the Khalifa International Stadium will see the removal of the athletics track for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and an increase of capacity to 40,000 seats ©Qatar 2022



Built in 1976, and renovated for the Asian Games in 2006, Khalifa International Stadium will undergo a comprehensive renovation to meet the FIFA standards for World Cup stadiums, which will include adding a new building to the east wing, and building a single roof to cover the whole seating area.

The redevelopment includes revamping the venue to include a seating capacity of 40,000 during the tournament in order to be compliant with FIFA's stadium requirements for hosting group, round of 16 and quarter-final matches.

Additionally, the innovative cooling technology which has been at the heart of much debate over Qatar's awarding of the World Cup, will be incorporated to ensure an optimal playing temperature of 26 degrees Celsius and provide a comfortable viewing environment for fans and players, it is claimed.

The Stadium is also due to host the 2019 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships, which Doha were awarded in Monte Carlo last week. 

But in World Cup mode, the athletics track will be removed. 

The Stadium will also include the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum.

It is expected to be completed in 2016.



Commenting on the project, Yasir Al Jamal, acting assistant secretary general for delivery affairs at the Supreme Committee, said: "Khalifa International Stadium is the third proposed FIFA World Cup venue to be revealed by the SC so far.

"This comes after we revealed the designs for Al Wakrah Stadium in November 2013, and Al Bayt-Al Khor City Stadium in June 2014."

He added: "The Supreme Committee has previously announced that work will start on five proposed FIFA World Cup venues before the end of this year.

"In the coming weeks, we will be unveiling the design for Qatar Foundation Stadium, which is currently in the enabling works phase, and Al Rayyan Stadium, which will be announced during Qatar's National Day Celebrations in Darb Al-Saa'i."

The renovation designs were unveiled by the Supreme Committee and Aspire Zone Foundation at a ceremonial dinner held in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, on the sidelines of the 22nd edition of the Gulf Cup.

As part of the unveiling, a video release charted the history of the stadium, and included snippets of interviews with key sporting heroes in Qatar.

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