USD 575-mn Qatar World Cup stadium opens to fanfare

Qatar inaugurated its first purpose-built stadium for the 2022 World Cup, staging a prestigious domestic cup final in the $575 million, 40,000-capacity Al-Wakrah venue.

The ground, designed by late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid and located in a coastal town south of Doha, erupted into cheers as Emir Cup finalists Al-Sadd and Al-Duhail ran onto the pitch on Thursday.

There were some traffic jams and tight security checks as the ground, which was nearly full for the prestigious fixture, began to fill ahead of kick-off.

"I've travelled the world and I've been to stadiums in different cities including the UK," said Yousef al-Jaber, a 35-year-old oil company research director from Doha.

"Finally I was able to go to one in Qatar that is world-class," added the Chelsea fan who watched the game with his wife and two sons.

"It's a one of a kind, it's a futuristic design. Al-Wakrah is a coastal city and the architecture is inspired by that."
- 'It is worth it' -
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