Qatar Reveals Removable 2022 World Cup Stadium Made From Shipping Containers

Qatar has officially revealed that its seventh stadium for the 2022 World Cup will be the world's first fully modular stadium. The 40,000-seat arena will be constructed mainly from shipping containers and should be fully capable of being disassembled and reconstructed elsewhere.

Announced on Sunday, Ras Abu Aboud Stadium is the latest piece of Qatar's $200 billion World Cup project to be revealed. It is the third venue to be designed for the 2022 World Cup by Fenwick Iribarren Architects and will be located on the waterfront of Doha, the country's capital.

By using modular shipping container blocks containing removable seats, concession stands, bathrooms and merchandise booths, the stadium's layout can easily be adjusted in the future. Each of the pieces will arrive by tanker and be assembled on site.

Hassan Al Thawadi from SC Secretary General H.E. (the organization responsible for Qatar’s World Cup infrastructure) said: “This venue offers the perfect legacy, capable of being reassembled in a new location in its entirety or built into numerous small sports and cultural venues. All of this in a stadium that delivers the atmosphere fans expect at a World Cup and which we will build in a more sustainable way than ever before,” he said.

“Qatar is delivering superb results in terms of sustainability, including the proposed design for Ras Abu Aboud Stadium,” said Federico Addiechi, FIFA’s Head of Sustainability & Diversity. “From day one, there has been a strong emphasis on sustainability from Qatar, including a commitment to ensure that all infrastructure meets strict design, build and operations criteria under the GSAS certification programme.

This design announcement is the second to have come since several of Qatar's neighbours cut off diplomatic ties and imposed trade and travel sanctions on the small but wealthy country in June. Qatar 2022's organising committee, however, has repeatedly dismissed these concerns and has pushed on with the work, despite a significant rise in costs.

Ras Abu Aboud Stadium is already under construction, scheduled for an early 2020 completion date.