Dubai Sports City awards cricket stadium construction contract

The main contractor is a joint venture between Alpine Bau Deutschland and Belbadi Engineering (Alpine-Belbadi). The contract commences immediately with anticipated completion of the project in the first quarter of 2008. The total cost of the cricket stadium when finished will be AED 300 million.

The cricket stadium will be one of the most advanced of its kind in the world and the International Cricket Council (ICC), the world governing body of cricket, has been involved in all stages of the design process to ensure that the stadium meets the relevant specifications for hosting international cricket fixtures.

The 25 000 seat stadium, which is expandable to 30,000, will have state-of-the-art facilities for players, match officials, VIPs, spectators and the media. It will feature a unique roof structure based on the traditional Arabic tent framework and will become a landmark throughout Dubai Sports City and Dubailand. The pitch is being built by expert pre-qualified contractors in line with ICC standards.

Khalid Al Zarooni, President of Dubai Sports City, announcing the award of the construction contract for the first of the four planned stadia at Dubai Sports City, acknowledged the tremendous vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, and his success in projecting Dubai on to the world stage as a major global sporting, leisure and tourism hub.

U Balasubramaniam, CEO of Dubai Sports City, speaking at the press conference said:

"The stadia at Dubai Sports City will set a benchmark for sporting venues in the region and beyond. We are working with the best architects and contractors to ensure that the cricket stadium complies with the standards set down by the global governing body of cricket. As I am sure you know, the Emirates Cricket Board is currently bidding for major international ICC cricket events and the cricket stadium at Dubai Sports City forms a central part of that bid."

"Our ambition is for Dubai Sports City to become a global centre of excellence for cricket - we will not only have the best cricket stadium in the world but we will also host the first ever ICC Global Cricket Academy under the helm of Rodney Marsh as Director of Coaching."

In concluding Balasubramaniam said : "We must not forget that for the most part the evolution and growth of cricket in the Emirates can be attributed to one of the Dubai Sports City partners, Mr Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, without whose dedication and patronage cricket would not enjoy the support and profile it has in the region today."

Sir Clive Lloyd, veteran cricketer, ICC match referee and ex-West Indies captain who attended the press conference as an honorary guest of Dubai Sports City, was lavish with his praise: "Dubai Sports City is an amazing project and I have seen nothing else like it. It really pleases me to see a venture that is so dedicated to the growth and development of cricket at all levels, and where better than Dubai with its geographical advantage at the centre of the cricketing world.

"I shall personally be following the progress of this breathtaking development - I am sure the cricketers of today and tomorrow will find this a fantastic venue in which to play cricket."

David Richardson, General Manager, Cricket, at the ICC, said: "At its previous home in London, the ICC had a fantastic cricket ground - Lords - outside its office window and it is good to know that when we move to Dubai Sports City there will once again be a great stadium next to our headquarters.

"As well as our office we are also developing the ICC Global Cricket Academy at Dubai Sports City. This will become the centre of excellence for world cricket bringing together the skills and facilities to allow cricketers including juniors, coaches, umpires, curators and administrators to develop their abilities. I am sure the stadium will complement these facilities "

Dr Thomas Schmidt, General Manager of Alpine Bau Deutschland AG, UAE branch, said:" Dubai Sports City is an incredible project and it is a great honour for us to have been awarded this contract. Alpine-Belbadi has formed a joint venture to execute this prestigious project. The joint venture relies on the international expertise of Alpine who recently built the Munich Stadium where the opening game of the FIFA World Cup Championship 2006 will be performed."

Mr Werner Maluck, Director of Belbadi Engineering, commented:" Belbadi Engineering and its daughter company, Emirates Belbadi Contracting are already well-established in the UAE. We will lead the joint venture which combines local and international expertise, this is a very exciting project for us."

The cricket stadium has been designed by world renowned architects Gerkan, Marg und Partner (GMP), who are also famous for their work on the reconstruction of the Berlin Olympic Stadium (75,000 seats), the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt (48,000 seats) and the Rheinenergie stadium in Cologne (46,200 seats).