ABU DHABI // New pitches, seating for fans and luxury corporate facilities at the capital's two biggest stadiums will all be completed on schedule to ensure Fifa standards are met by the time of the Club World Cup in December.
Al Jazira's Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium and the Zayed Sports City Stadium are due to play host to the world's finest footballers near the end of the year and an overhaul of each venue is under way.
The likes of Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry, who are used to lining up at the Nou Camp, will have the same quality of surface in the emirate, say the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the cup, even though grass roots are only just beginning to emerge at the stadiums.
"The vision is to meet the standards that Fifa have set," explained Shatha al Romaithi, LOC communications manager. "We are working very closely with Fifa to ensure this happens.
"We have set our own goal to go above and beyond this. We want to develop world-class standards and facilities at both stadiums."
Renovations to Al Jazira's 42,000 capacity home ground will be less extensive than at the showcase stadium at Zayed Sports City. The Mohammed Bin Zayed ground was the focus of a Dh200million expansion projected unveiled in 2005. Construction is still ongoing to complete the project, which includes residential apartments, covered spectator stands and corporate hospitality boxes.
Meanwhile, Zayed Sports City's 50,000 capacity stadium is undergoing an extensive face-lift. Walking from the almost bare pitch through what will eventually be the new player dressing rooms, it is clear to see the challenge being faced. Inside, the stadium has been gutted. Wires hang from the ceilings, walls are knocked down and floors pulled up.
A sign hangs on the wall indicating the countdown to completion. The stadium's operations manager is adamant they are on track and the work will be completed on schedule.
In addition to a new pitch, existing spectator seating will be removed and replaced, giving a new shine around the bowl style arena. The Royal Box is to be upgraded and new corporate hospitality areas are to be built.
Leading off the third floor walkway, a concrete room, where the new commentary box will be, looks out into the soon to be immaculate pitch. New high-tech media and broadcast areas are planned to house journalists and broadcasters from across the world.
To meet the high standards expected by the international players, dressing rooms, shower blocks, warm-up areas and press conference rooms will be added.
Aside from the aesthetics, a timely review of security and emergency procedures is also in progress, with updated procedures to be introduced ahead of the tournament to ensure they meet strict international regulations.
"In some areas the standards were not up to Fifa requirements," said a committee official.
"This will be the largest tournament held at either stadium," the committee official said. "There have been large events such as the Gulf Cup and the Youth World Championship in 2003, but in terms of crowd capacity this will be the largest tournament staged in both stadiums, hence the need to re-look at all the facilities and services and upgrade."
Work on both stadiums began six weeks ago and new pitches at both stadiums have been laid. Renovation work is due to be completed by mid-October, in time for international friendly matches to take place at the Zayed Sports City Stadium early in November.
With the UAE Pro League season due to start mid-September, the LOC and ground staff at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium are on a tight deadline to ensure the pitch is ready for Al Jazira's first home match on Sept 14.
Two weeks after laying new pitches at both stadiums, the first tufts of grass can be seen sprouting through the "mulch" covered ground at Zayed Sport City's stadium, with full grass coverage expected within 10 weeks. The Fifa LOC are confident the pitch at Al Jazira's stadium is progressing at the same speed.
zgriffiths@thenational.ae
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Indian origin executives leading top technology firms
Sundar Pichai
Chief executive, Google and Alphabet
Satya Nadella
Chief executive, Microsoft
Ajaypal Singh Banga
President and chief executive, Mastercard
Shantanu Narayen
Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe
Indra Nooyi
Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs
Engine: 5-litre V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 505Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km
Price: Dh260,500
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
TOUR DE FRANCE INFO
Dates: July 1-23
Distance: 3,540km
Stages: 21
Number of teams: 22
Number of riders: 198
more from Janine di Giovanni
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
The%20specs%3A%20Taycan%20Turbo%20GT
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C108hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C340Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%20(front%20axle)%3B%20two-speed%20transmission%20(rear%20axle)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh928%2C400%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOrders%20open%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Match info
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Liverpool v Porto, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
THE NEW BATCH'S FOCUS SECTORS
AiFlux – renewables, oil and gas
DevisionX – manufacturing
Event Gates – security and manufacturing
Farmdar – agriculture
Farmin – smart cities
Greener Crop – agriculture
Ipera.ai – space digitisation
Lune Technologies – fibre-optics
Monak – delivery
NutzenTech – environment
Nybl – machine learning
Occicor – shelf management
Olymon Solutions – smart automation
Pivony – user-generated data
PowerDev – energy big data
Sav – finance
Searover – renewables
Swftbox – delivery
Trade Capital Partners – FinTech
Valorafutbol – sports and entertainment
Workfam – employee engagement
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
