Two World Cup 2022 venues nominated for 'Stadium of the Year' awards

Qatar’s two newest stadiums have been nominated for a global Stadium of the Year contest where people can vote for their favourite sports venue.

Qatar’s Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium and Education City Stadium have both been nominated for a global contest to determine the Stadium of the Year 2020.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup venues are among 20 candidates to be named Stadium of the Year 2020 through a global vote conducted by one of the world’s leading football stadiums website StadiumDB.com.

The Popular Vote will allow people to rate 5 of their favourite sports stadiums on a scale. A separate title will be given to Stadium of the Year that will be determined by a jury of architectural experts, who will cast votes independently of the Popular Vote.

The two Qatari venues will be competing with stadiums from the United States, Japan, Chile, and other countries around the world.

Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium made its debut on December 18 with the 2020 Amir Cup final, while the Education City Stadium opened its doors in June 2020.

Both stadiums, as well as other Qatar 2022 venues, were built with focus on sustainability.

Some 55% of the materials used for the Education City Stadium project came from sustainable sources, while 28% of construction materials used recycled contents.

The EC stadium has also received a 5-star design and build rating from the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS).

Over 80% of the construction materials used to build the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium have been reused or recycled.

Bodour Al Meer, Sustainability & Environment Senior Manager at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said: “Sustainability has been at the heart of all our tournament preparedness efforts from the day we were awarded the rights to host the world’s largest football tournament, back in 2010”.

But even outside of the stadiums, sustainability remains a top priority.

Qatar is also expected to boast the world’s first emission-free public transport system for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, in a move that will see the Gulf state turn 25 percent of its public buses into electric vehicles.

The decision comes as part of the country’s 2030 vision, which includes reducing harmful carbon emissions as concerns over a possible expansion of Qatar’s carbon footprint rise over the next decade.

With sustainability playing a crucial part in delivering the games, the electric transport vehicles are expected to be useful during the 2022 World Cup – making it the first championship where electric mass transit buses are deployed.

According to the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, at least 1.5 million fans from around the world are expected to visit Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022, highlighting the importance of health and environment for visitors and local residents.

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