Construction of Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor City is well underway, with 40% of structural work for the proposed semi-final venue of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar now completed, a top official has said.

Speaking to sc.qa, Dr Nasser Al-Hajeri, Aspire Zone Foundation project director, said that work on the site is progressing per schedule, with stadium structural work at 40%, while construction work for the surrounding precinct is 25% complete.

“The area around the stadium will include facilities for the community and green areas. There are currently 3,000 construction workers on site, and workers’ welfare continues to be a top priority as we advance with construction on this unique stadium which will leave a tangible legacy for the community after the tournament,” he elaborated.

Hajeri added that the retaining wall that will support the next two levels of the stadium’s overall weight has also been erected. It will ultimately be the main support of the stadium’s retractable roof, he explained.

The overall height of the venue will be 37 metres.

“Recently the site team began installation of the first fix of approximately 2,500 seats at the north stand of the 60,000-seat stadium,” Mohemed Ahmed, the SC project manager for the stadium added.

While the steel structure platforms for the modular seats are designed in Germany and manufactured in Italy, the actual seats will be designed and manufactured in Qatar. Once the tournament is completed, the capacity of the stadium will be reduced to around 32,000, with the upper tiers donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure, a report on FIFA.com said.

The upper concourse of the stadium will then be converted into a hotel, which will contain a shopping centre and a branch of Aspetar, the sports medicine facility. Parks and greenery will also form an important part of the surrounding area’s design plan, which will create a green area for local residents and families in Al Khor, it added.