Al Janoub Stadium

About

Al-Janoub Stadium (Istād al-Janūb, lit. 'Stadium of the South'), formerly known as Al-Wakrah Stadium, is a retractable-roof football stadium in al-Wakrah, Qatar that was inaugurated on 16 May 2019. This was the second of the eight stadiums inaugurated for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, after the renovation of Khalifa International Stadium. It was designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid (1950–2016) together with the firms AECOM and Jain & Partners of Dubai. The stadium features a curvilinear postmodernist and neo-futurist design. The appearance of the roof was inspired by the sails of traditional dhows used by pearl divers from the region, weaving through currents of the Persian Gulf. It is the official headquarters of the football club Al-Wakrah SC, where the matches of the Qatar Stars League are held. The capacity of the stadium is 20,000; the capacity was 40,000 before the World Cup. The stadium is located about 22 km (14 mi) south of Doha.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.