DOHA, Nov 20: Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) said Saturday the iconic Stadium 974 is ready to serve as one of the country's seven hosting venues of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Officially unveiling the venue, SC Secretary-General Hassan Al-Thawadi took pride in his country's getting closer to the hosting of the 2022 Mondial for the first time in the Middle East and the Arab world. The Stadium, with its innovative design, is model for other gigantic cost-effective projects to follow, he noted.

The venue, formerly known as Ras Abu Aboud Stadium and located on the shores of the Gulf close to Doha Port, was named after the country's international dialing code 974 and the number of shipping containers used in construction. It will host the first match of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 between the United Arab Emirates and Syria on November 30, said the SC, the committee in charge of the implementation of preparations for the 2022 Mondial. The innovative 40,000-seater stadium, which will be entirely dismantled after the Mondial, is mainly made up of shipping containers, removable seats and other modular building blocks; its innovative design is inspired by Qatar's worldwide trade and seafaring. (KUNA)