Tradition and technology will go hand in hand when the Fifa World Cup 2022 kicks off in Qatar on November 20.
A total of eight venues will host the tournament, with the final at the Lusail Stadium on December 18. The other venues are the Stadium 974, Al Thumama Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Education City Stadium, and the Al Janoub Stadium.
All venues celebrate distinct aspects of Arab heritage, while incorporating the latest technologies, especially when it comes to climate control inside the stadium to ensure a comfortable environment for fans and players.
As we build up towards the World Cup, we look at each of the eight venues that will host teams and fans during the month-long football carnival.
Education City Stadium
Based in the Education City, the 40,000 capacity stadium is surrounded by several university campuses. The venue's structure includes triangles that form diamond-shaped patterns and give the illusion of changing colour with the sun's movement.
The facade cocoons the stadium, helping the advanced cooling systems inside the Education City Stadium to operate at optimum level. By night, the exterior of the stadium has a colourful light show, adding to its allure. No surprises that it has ben given the nickname "Diamond in the Desert".
Following the World Cup, the stadium will retain around 25,000 seats and the venue will be used by university athletic teams. Around 20 percent of the building materials used during construction have ben certified as 'green', making the stadium one of the most environmentally sustainable facilities.
World Cup 2022 fixtures at Education City Stadium
Tuesday, November 22: Group D, Denmark v Tunisia (5pm)
Thursday, November 24: Group H, Uruguay v South Korea (5pm)
Saturday, November 26: Group C, Poland v Saudi Arabia (5pm)
Monday, November 28: Group H, South Korea v Ghana (5pm)
Wednesday, November 30: Group D, Tunisia v France (7pm)
Friday, December 2: Group H, South Korea v Portugal (7pm)
Round of 16
Tuesday, December 6: Match 55, Group F winner v Group E runner-up (7pm)
Quarter-finals
Friday, December 9: Match 58, Match 53 winner v Match 54 winner (7pm)
