Described as a "significant step on the road to 2022" FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar, the stadium's "innovative and futuristic design" was praised by Thani Khalifa Al Zarraa, the SC's Al Wakrah Stadium Project Manager.
"We hope thousands of football fans across the country will join us for this landmark occasion as we celebrate the progress we have made to-date and look forward to 2022 with renewed excitement," he added.
Al Wakrah Stadium is looking awesome! Inspired by the late British-Iraqi architect Dame Zaha Hadid, the design is inspired by the sails of traditional dhow boats – in tribute to Al Wakrah's seafaring past. pic.twitter.com/zJIUezjEuk
— Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (@SCcorporate) February 3, 2019
However, when images of the venue surfaced online, it got branded by some commentators as the "vagina stadium" due to its particular shape.
The 40K capacity "Vagina" stadium in Qatar ready for the next World Cup tournament.
— Da~Vinci°💡 (@dtwahirwa) May 3, 2019
2022 we enter Hoo ha! pic.twitter.com/mB2XZEzW2d
Cool
— Austinundertaker028gmail.com (@Austinundertak1) May 2, 2019
When @ladbible use your ex as an example of the new world cup stadium 😂😂 #Qatar2022 #worldcup #vaginastadium pic.twitter.com/rA0EtWQZ8k
— StevenRFC🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 (@StevenD26884956) May 3, 2019
Naughty Arabs auh https://t.co/OTZ5RPzZkw
— Alice.Avril (@Allexix_Wali) May 3, 2019
Zaha Hadid's inspiration for the stadium's design came from the images of sails of traditional dhow boats, aiming to highlight Al Wakrah's traditional industries, including fishing and pearling.
The venue, featuring a 92-metre retractable roof and a cooling technology, can be used all-year-around, according to the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, responsible for the delivery of the required World Cup infrastructure in Qatar. The players and the spectators will be able to enjoy the temperature of 18-20°C during the games, said the Committee.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place in Qatar on 21 Nov — 18 Dec 2022.
