Jaishankar visits 2022 World Cup venue in Qatar
Dec 28, 2020
Doha [Qatar], December 28 : Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar and Dr Deepak Mittal, the Indian Ambassador in Qatar, on Monday visited the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium which is a 2022 FIFA World Cup venue built by an Indian firm.
"Visited Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium at Al Rayyan. Congratulate Larsen and Toubro and their Qatari partners on an impressive project. It has enhanced India's reputation for quality and delivery. Best wishes to Qatar for FIFA 2022," Jaishankar wrote in another tweet.
According to an official statement, Hassan Al Thawadi and Nasser Al Khater, Chairman and CEO respectively of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC met the ministerial delegation at the stadium and conducted a full tour of the facilities including the pitch, competition areas, and VVIP seating areas.
"Qatar and India have shared a close relationship for centuries, through trade, culture, and people-to-people ties, and the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, built by Larsen and Toubro, is a symbol of this relationship and our shared history," Al Thawadi said.
Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium was inaugurated recently on December 18, 2020, when it hosted the Amir Cup final between Al Saddand Al Arabi in a high profile event on Qatar National Day attended by several dignitaries including FIFA President Gianni Infantino and All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel, the statement said.
The 40,000-capacity stadium will host seven matches till the Round of 16 stages during the 2022 World Cup and will function as the home of Qatar Stars League (QSL) outfit Al Rayyan.
The stadium's facade is glowing and is composed of patterns that symbolise different aspects of Qatar - the importance of family, the beauty of the desert, native flora and fauna, and local and international trade, it said.
Qatar has a significant Indian expatriate presence with almost 25 per cent of the Middle-East nation's population being Indians, the statement further stated.
This was the first time ever that an Indian firm has been involved in any capacity whatsoever when it comes to building infrastructure for a FIFA World Cup.
