Al Bayt Stadium is a retractable roof football stadium located in Al Khor, a city in the northeast coast of Qatar, around 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Doha. The stadium takes its name from ‘bayt al sha’ar’ – the tents historically used by nomadic peoples in Qatar and the Gulf region. The design pays homage to Qatar’s past and present while also looking ahead to the community’s future. It will be the 2nd largest stadium at the World Cup with a capacity of 60,000.
Designed by Dar Al-Handasah, the construction of the stadium started in 2014 and it finished in 2021. The opening of the stadium took place on 30 November 2021, on the occasion of opening ceremony for the FIFA Arab Cup 2021. Followed by a match between the host Qatar and Bahrain. Al Bayt Stadium hosted five maches at that tournament including the final.
At the World Cup the stadium will host nine matches, including the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador on the 20 November. It will host six group games, a round of 16 match, a quarter-final match and a semi-final.
Following the World Cup, the stadium will be reconfigured into a 32,000-seat stadium. The modular upper tier will be removed, with the seats being re-purposed to create sporting facilities in Qatar and overseas. The upper concourse of the stadium will be converted into various facilities. The vacated space will then be converted into a five-star hotel, shopping mall and another sports facilities.
