India's Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan visits 2022 FIFA World Cup venue in Qatar
India's Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, visited the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium in Qatar, a venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday.
The MoS for External Affairs took a tour of the stadium and took cognizance of the world-class facilities of the venue.
Interestingly, there is an Indian connection to the stadium. The construction of the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, located in Al-Rayyan, was completed by an Indo-Qatar joint venture between one of the largest Indian firms Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) and Qatar's Al Balagh Trading & Contracting.
In fact, it is the first time that an Indian firm has been involved in the construction of a FIFA World Cup venue.
Visited the Ahmed bin Ali football stadium that will be hosting #FIFAWorldCup 2022.
— V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) May 10, 2022
Pleased with the association of India's @larsentoubro along with Al Balagh in the construction of the stadium and their success in building world class infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/YcD1C4WFSm
Back in December 2020, India's honourable foreign minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. He was accompanied by Dr. Deepak Mittal, the Indian Ambassador to Qatar.
Visited Ahmed bin Ali Stadium at Al Rayyan. Congratulate Larsen & Toubro and their Qatari partners on an impressive project. Has enhanced India's reputation for quality and delivery. Best wishes to Qatar for FIFA 2022 @FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/F0LkfkGm4d
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 28, 2020
Dr. Jaishankar and his ministerial delegation were on a two-day visit to Qatar and they were gracefully attended by his Excellency Hassan Al Thawadi and Nasser Al Khater, Chairman and CEO respectively of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC. They took them through a full tour of the facilities including the pitch, competition areas and VVIP seating areas.
All you need to know about the FIFA World Cup venue Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium
The stadium was inaugurated on December 18, 2020, when it hosted the Amir Cup final between Al Sadd and Al Arabi in a high profile event on Qatar National Day attended by several dignitaries including FIFA President Gianni Infantino and All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel.
The 40,000-capacity stadium will host seven matches till the Round of 16 stage during the 2022 World Cup and will function as the home of Qatar Stars League (QSL) outfit Al Rayyan.
The stadium’s façade is glowing and is composed of patterns that symbolise different aspects of Qatar - the importance of family, the beauty of the desert, native flora and fauna, and local and international trade.