History and description

The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium is one of the playing venues for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It opened in 2020. The new stadium was built in place of the old Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, home of Al Rayyan SC. Initially the plan was to renovate and expand the existing stadium, but in the end they built a whole new stadium altogether.

The old stadium was demolished in 2014 and the final designs for the new stadium were presented in 2015. The foundation works started in late 2016.

The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium officially opened on December 18, 2020 with the Amir Cup Final between Al-Sadd and Al-Arabi (2-1). A few months later, the stadium was one of the two venues, alongside Education City Stadium, of the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup that was played in early 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It hosted among others one of the two semi-finals.

For the World Cup, the stadium will have a seating capacity of roughly 40,000. After the World Cup, nearly half of those seats will be removed again, resulting in a seating capacity of 21,000.

The prominent feature of this structure is its facade, which incorporates symbols of Qatari culture and is inspired by the sand dunes of the nearby desert.

During the World Cup, the stadium will host five first round group matches and one round of 16 match.

How to get to Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium

The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium is located in the suburb of Al Rayyan on the eastern edge of the Doha metropolitan area. The Stadium is approximately 20 km from central Doha. You can easily reach the stadium from central Doha by metro. Metro station Al Riffa is located close to the stadium. It is the last station on the newly-constructed Green line, which can be boarded in central Doha. The journey from Al Bidda station takes about 25 minutes.

To visit destinations further north along the bay, such as The Pearl, a transfer is required from the Red line. A transfer can be made at Al Bidda station.

Eat, drink, and sleep near Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium

The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium is located on the outskirts of Doha and is part of a new development which includes the Mall of Qatar. It is separated from the desert only by a few motorways. There are various places to eat and drink in the mall if you need something to eat before the match.

There is a hotel near Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium: the luxurious AlRayyan Hotel Doha. It is part of the Mall of Qatar.

Useful websites

Visitqatar.qa - Doha tourist information.