With five proposed host venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ currently underway, the site at Al Wakrah is starting to take on shape as the first concrete has been laid above ground in the stadium which will seat 40,000 spectators. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has celebrated reaching an important milestone as the first structural concrete slab has been cast at the site of Al Wakrah Stadium.

Abdulla Al-Marri, Senior Project Engineer at the Al Wakrah Precinct, explained: "We have started laying the foundation of 168 m3 of structural concrete in our east slab. For this we are using two pumps that work simultaneously, doubling the usual speed. This is an important achievement, being the first above-ground casting of concrete at the site which will incorporate the structural elements to begin vertical construction."

With this accomplishment, 55 of 84 structural piles were poured – each one measuring 19 metres in length and 1.2 metres in diameter - and distributed in six different sectors.

The first pile was cast in December 2014, just a little after a year since the ground-breaking designs for Al Wakrah Stadium were formally unveiled to the public and the site was declared the first proposed venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™.

The top priorities now for the enabling works contractor are to complete the drainage works and excavations around the stadium, and the casting of the foundations to allow the Main Work Contractor to begin their work on the project.

HBK Contracting Company is the enabling works supplier at Al Wakrah Stadium, who have completed over one million Lost Time Accident (LTA) free man-hours. "We observe that all safety measures are in place before works starts and we reward safety practices every month," highlighted Al-Marri. As part of regular safety training across all SC sites, the Al Wakrah site will hold a Safety Fair in March.

The 40,000-seat stadium, future home of Al Wakrah Sports Club will be surrounded by approximately 560,000 m2 (60-hectare) of legacy precinct with a new sports centre and community hub. The precinct will deliver a range of community facilities, including a park, mosque, school, hotel, wedding hall, vocational training centre, and retail outlets. The stadium will be reduced in legacy mode to 20,000 seats, with the upper tiers sent to developing countries in need of sporting infrastructure.