Education City Stadium has become the first Qatar 2022 tournament venue to receive a five-star rating from the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS).

The prestigious award, considered a mark of excellence in sustainability, design and construction, was presented by the Founding Chairman of the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD), Dr Yousef Al Horr, to Jassim Telefat, Executive Director of the Technical Delivery Office at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC).

GORD presented three certificates to the SC for Education City Stadium: GSAS Design & Build (five stars), GSAS Construction Management Class A* and GSAS Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The awards recognise Qatar's commitment to delivering sustainable infrastructure for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, along with a long-lasting tournament legacy.

Also in attendance at the awards ceremony was Eng. Bodour Al Meer, the SC's Sustainability & Environment Senior Manager, along with senior members of the project management team, plus representatives from GORD, ASTAD and the main contractor.

Speaking after the ceremony, Eng. Bodour said: "This prestigious award is a clear indicator that we are delivering on our commitment to sustainability and green building; it is a proud moment for everyone that has worked on this very special project."

She continued: "Education City Stadium will provide world-class facilities to players and supporters in 2022, but today's ceremony shows it also provides local communities with much more than just that – a legacy that will benefit Qatar for generations to come. We look forward to working with GORD over the coming years to ensure each of our others sites matches the high standards set by this magnificent stadium."

A proposed quarter-final venue in 2022, Education City Stadium – known as the 'Diamond in the Desert' – features a range of sustainability features, including direct access to public transport via the Education City tram system link to Doha Metro; low toxicity indoor materials which provide a healthy indoor environment and LED sports lighting which offers better light quality at lower energy consumption. In addition, 85% of building materials for the stadium were regionally sourced, while 29% were generated from recycled materials.

The soon-to-be inaugurated stadium also boasts carbon dioxide sensors for high occupant density spaces to ensure ventilation and indoor air quality, and a water efficient irrigation design to minimise landscape water consumption.

All Qatar's stadiums are mandated to receive a minimum four-star rating from GSAS, which was adopted as the sustainability rating system by FIFA and will ensure all tournament-related infrastructure meets stringent standards.

Al Horr said: "The SC's unyielding stance on sustainability has been clear since the very beginning. With each new project, the SC continues setting higher goals to achieve a carbon-neutral World Cup."

He continued: "By exceeding FIFA's required standards, Education City Stadium has raised the bar – not only for Qatar's upcoming stadiums but also for future tournaments around the world."

Education City Stadium's main contractor – and GSAS service provider – is a joint venture between J&P Qatar WLL, Conspel Qatar WLL, J&P Avax SA and J&P Overseas Ltd. ASTAD is fulfilling the roles of project management, construction management and construction supervision.

Click here for more information about Education City Stadium.