Qatar building second stadium for 2022 FIFA World Cup despite Gulf diplomatic crisis

Doha: A second stadium being built for the football World Cup 2022 in Qatar will be ready on schedule next year despite sanctions imposed by Gulf neighbours, an official said on Monday Al-Wakrah, a 40,000-seat stadium, designed in the shape of a boat by the late award-winning architect Zaha Hadid, will come in line after Khalifa stadium, which was delivered in May. [caption id=“attachment_3825451” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Qatar’s model of its Al-Wakrah stadium as it bids to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup. Reuters[/caption] “The current project is going on schedule and Al-Wakrah stadium will be delivered on time by the end of the next year,” said project manager Thani Khalifa Al-Zarah. On 5 June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed sanctions on Qatar over accusations of supporting extremism and being close to their arch-rival Iran. The sanctions included blocking Qatar’s only land border with Saudi Arabia, depriving Doha of all imports by road, including construction material. More than 50 percent of concrete work at the stadium has been completed while steel material for the roof structure has already been delivered, said Zarah, insisting that border blockade is not affecting the project and that the contractor is the party responsible for securing supplies. “They are currently looking for alternatives and I don’t think from a client perspective that’s a concern for us,” he said, adding that the blockade has “already opened new markets for the country and the contractors as well to explore.” World Cup organisers have said that preparations are continuing as normal despite the crisis. Qatar is building or refurbishing eight stadiums for the 2022 event.