Qatar Foundation Stadium the latest 2022 World Cup venue to be unveiled

Qatar has unveiled its spectacular and, perhaps, most ambitious stadium design yet for the 2022 World Cup - four years to the day since the Gulf nation was awarded the right to stage the tournament.

The Qatar Foundation Stadium is one of five stadiums that will be under construction by the end of 2014 as Qatar ramps up its preparations for staging the Middle East's first ever World Cup finals.

Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said: “I am pleased that on the fourth anniversary of Qatar winning the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy is able to stand alongside one of the most prominent Qatari institutions to reveal the design of the Qatar Foundation Stadium.”

“This is another key milestone in our preparations for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and is the fourth stadium design we have unveiled following in the past 13 months. The QF Stadium and Health & Wellness Precinct will not only allow us to host an amazing World Cup but also leave a genuine legacy in Qatar well beyond 2022.”

The stadium's unveiling comes just a week after organisers announced plans for the redevelopment of the Khalifa International Stadium.

All the proposed venues, including the Qatar Foundation Stadium, will have a tournament capacity of 40,000 and will feature innovative cooling technology, which will provide comfortable playing and viewing conditions for fans and players alike.

The design of the state-of-the-art stadium will see light filtered through complex geometrical patterns in tribite to Islamic architecture. The venue is expected to be completed in 2018.

Post-tournament, the stadium’s capacity will be reduced to 25,000 while the natural grass pitch will be replaced by an artificial one which can be used 365 days a year. The stadium’s seating design will be modified to incorporate a majlis, family areas and other facilities for Qatar Foundation partners.