Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, popularly known as the Al-Rayyan Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Al Rayyan, in the Umm Al Afaei district. It is mostly used for football matches and it is the home to Al-Rayyan SC. The stadium is named after Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar. The former stadium, built in 2003, had a seating capacity of 21,282 and was demolished in 2015, the new Al Rayyan Stadium was then built on the same site with a capacity of 40,000.
The construction of the stadium started in early 2016. 90 percent of the rubble resulting from the demolition of the old stadium were reused either for the new stadium or for public art projects. The renovation included a huge ‘media facade’ with a membrane that acts as a screen for projections, news, commercials, sports updates, current tournament information and matches. And all seats were also shaded. The stadium opened on 18 December 2020 when it hosted the Amir Cup final. The stadium’s most eye-catching feature is its glowing facade, which is made up of patterns that represent various aspects of the country. A fifth shape, a shield, brings together all the others, representing the strength and unity that is particularly relevant to the city of Al Rayyan. The stadium hosted matches at the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup and in 2021 it hosted four matches at the FIFA Arab Cup.
During the World Cup the stadium will host seven matches, six group games and one round of 16 match.
After the World Cup, the modular upper tier will be removed, with the seats being re-purposed into sporting facilities in Qatar and overseas. It will continue to be the home stadium of Al-Rayyan SC.
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