Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium

Hazza bin Zayed Stadium
Al Ain Stadium
Full name Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium
Location Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Coordinates 24°14′44″N 55°43′00″E / 24.245594°N 55.716583°E / 24.245594; 55.716583 (Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium)Coordinates: 24°14′44″N 55°43′00″E / 24.245594°N 55.716583°E / 24.245594; 55.716583 (Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium)
Owner Al Ain FC
Operator Al Ain FC
Capacity 22,717
Surface Grass
Scoreboard Yes
Construction
Broke ground 1 June 2012
Built 2012–2014 (2 years)
Opened 14 January 2014[1]
Construction cost 145 million Dirham (US$39.4 million)
Architect Pattern Design Limited
Structural engineer EC Harris
General contractor BAM International
Tenants
Al Ain FC 2014-
Website
hbzstadium.ae

The Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (Arabic: استاد هزاع بن زايد‎‎) is a multi-purpose stadium, located in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, City of Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. It is the home stadium of Al Ain FC of the UAE Pro-League. The stadium holds 22,717 [2] spectators and opened in 2014.[3]

The 45,000sqm Hazza Bin Zayed stadium is split over seven levels, and is hailed as one of the most modern and unique sporting venues in the Middle East. It is one of the most sophisticated sports venues in the region and is poised to become a central destination for citizens and residents in the United Arab Emirates, as well as tourists visiting from all over the world. The stadium was also named as the 2014's Stadium of the Year by StadiumDB.com.[4]

The stadium was broke ground in April 2012 and was completed in December 2014. It was planned that Al Ain faced Manchester City in the inaugural ceremony of the stadium,[5] but City drew 1–1 with Blackburn Rovers in an English FA Cup match on 4 January and a replay with Rovers scheduled on 15 January prevented the English Premier League champions from a trip to the UAE.[6] However the friendly was instead played after the Premier League season was over and Manchester City beat Al Ain 3–0.[7] The stadium will also host the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

Location and design

Night illumination of the stadium façade during stadium's opening

The 25,000 seat stadium is located in Al Ain, approximately 150 kilometres east of Abu Dhabi, close to the borders of Oman. It was designed and built under a contract for a multi-functional stadium in the United Arab Emirates.[8]

Client was represented by AAFAQ Holdings. The project was realised in close cooperation with sister companies BAM Sports, specialised in stadium construction, and BAM Contractors from Ireland. The scope of work included the construction of a multi-functional stadium with a gross floor area of 45,000 square metres. In addition BAM built a six storey office building, a sports hall and external works comprising roads, car parking, playing fields and landscaping. The stadium architects were London based Pattern Design.[9]

One of the most characteristic elements of the stadium is the external facade which consists of fabric elements resembling the trunk of a palm tree that also can be lighted by LED lights in 15 different content modes. On the top of the stadium roof, 200 floodlights are fixed to provide the illumination of after-dark soccer games. Due to the extreme temperatures during the hot summer months, the palm bowl shape of the roof also provides pleasant conditions for both the players and the fans. It is one of the stadium's unique features, which is designed in a way that matches can take place in the shadow after 5pm. On the inside, it reveals the complex geometry of its cantilevered steel trusses, which was achieved by using robotic cutting and welding technology. The stadium is the first stadium in the world to featuring a unique parasol roof designed specifically to fully shade all fans.[10]

Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium was voted Stadium of the Year 2014.[11]

History

The stadium has been completed after a 16-month ultra-fast track construction project after being started on 1 June 2012. Built to FIFA standards, the stadium covers an area of 45,000 square metres with a capacity of 25,000 seats. The scope of the project further included a sports hall, commercial buildings and extensive exterior landscaping. The stadium is part of another further development that covers 500,000 square metres and includes 700 apartments, green spaces, two office buildings, 50 restaurants, shops and a 170-room hotel.

The project is the first component of this broader development that will have its effect first on the city of Al Ain, but also on the wider region including the neighboring countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It was a design and build contract. BAM introduced a lot of value engineering proposals which had to be integrated into the design and therefore new building permits were required within the 18 months. BAM International started the project in mid-2012 and remained right on schedule with all aspects of the construction, making use of 10.5 million man hours. At peak there were 400 men staff up to the supervisor level and 4500 labourers on site.[12]

Facilities

The stadium is an integral part of a new, wider community. Over the next four years, it will become the centrepiece of a planned 500,000 square-metre development that will include a 172-room hotel, a community of 700 residential units in a complex of apartments and green spaces, two office buildings, a sports centre, retail outlets and 50 restaurants.[13]

Transportation

There are a number of routes to get to Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.[14] The stadium is 15 minutes from Al Ain Airport.

Route A: From Abu Dhabi:

Route B: From Abu Dhabi:

Route C: From Dubai:

Route D: From Fujairah:

A Panorama view of the stadium interior

References

  1. ↑ "Hazza bin Zayed Stadium".
  2. ↑ Studios, XS. "Al Ain - Clubs - UAE Pro League Committee".
  3. ↑ "Al Ain's Hazza bin Zayed Stadium nears completion". The National. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Hazza bin Zayed Stadium nominated for Stadium of the Year award - The National".
  5. ↑ "Manchester City to play Al Ain at opening of Hazza bin Zayed Stadium". The National (United Arab Emirates). 1 January 2014.
  6. ↑ "Manchester City will not play in Al Ain". The National (United Arab Emirates). 8 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Al Ain 0-3 Manchester City: Samir Nasri on form".
  8. ↑ "Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium - Abu Dhabi - BAM International".
  9. ↑ "Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium - Pattern".
  10. ↑ Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium and mixed use development, Al Ain, UAE
  11. ↑ "Stadium of the Year 2014 – StadiumDB.com".
  12. ↑ "Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium / Pattern Design". 4 March 2015.
  13. ↑ "Hazza bin Zayed Stadium a setting fit for Premier League kings - The National".
  14. ↑ "Location - HAZZA BIN ZAYED STADIUM". 6 December 2013.
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