Qatar presents plans for a totally modernised Khalifa stadium, which will be one of the centrepieces of the 2022 World Cup. Full Story: Plans for a revamped Khalifa international stadium for the 2022 Qatar World Cup were unveiled on Monday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. The iconic stadium, which staged the 2006 Asian Games, will be renovated as Qatar prepares for a tournament that might be played in winter because of the severe heat during the summer months. The new structure will also house the proposed Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, and the futuristic design is set to be one of country's main future attractions. The museum will also be the final destination of the 'We Speak Football' exhibition, which tours the world from this year until 2022, starting in Brazil and ending in Doha to coincide with the World Cup. The plans were unveiled by by Hassan Al Thawadi, the General Secretary of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy in charge of the preparations for the Qatar World Cup. The iconic stadium was showcased at a ceremonial dinner ahead of the Arabian Gulf Cup's final on Wednesday (November 26) which is being contested by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Speaking at the event, Qatar's Sports Minister Salah Bin Ghanem Bin Nasser Bin Al-Ali praised Saudi Arabia for its efforts. "We thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz. We also congratulate ourselves, the Saudi people, and the Gulf championship on this occasion," he said. The revamped structure, originally built in 1976, will feature 40,000 seats for spectators in 2022, along with a number of upgraded facilities. The World Cup organisers want to achieve a top environmental certificate, known as LEE Gold, underlining Qatar's commitment to sustainability. "We congratulate Qatar and its football Union and we hope to celebrate together in 2022 by holding an opening ceremony that will be up to Qatar's standards," said Fahd bin Khaled bin Abdullah, the Chairman of the Al-Ahli Saudi Football Club. FIFA and Qatar World Cup organisers have been fending off allegations of corruption ever since the tiny Gulf state was awarded the 2022 tournament. Qatar has little domestic soccer tradition and its desert climate is widely seen as too hot for the game to be played in summer when the cup is normally staged. For more news and videos visit ☛ http://ntd.tv Follow us on Twitter ☛ http://twitter.com/NTDTelevision Add us on Facebook ☛ http://on.fb.me/s5KV2C

• published: 26 Nov 2014
• views: 1006