Thousands of fans from the Tunisian and Arab communities attended the Khalifa International Stadium Fan Zone on Monday night to support Tunisia in their first 2018 FIFA World Cup match against England.

More than 5,000 football fans from the Tunisian and Arab communities attended the Khalifa International Stadium Fan Zone on Monday night to support Tunisia in their first 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia match against England.

Organised by Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF), the lively atmosphere once again demonstrated that the Fan Zone is the ideal setting to enjoy the tournament, with widespread enthusiasm and cheering from spectators throughout the match. Games will be screened daily throughout the tournament.

A number of dignitaries also attended the Fan Zone, including the Tunisian ambassador Salah al-Salahi, the Moroccan ambassador Nabil Zniber, the Algerian ambassador Abdelaziz Sebaa, the Sudanese ambassador Fath al-Rahman Ali Mohamed and the ambassador of Benin Mohamed Bare.

AZF PR and communications director Nasser Abdullah al-Hajri said: “We have carefully planned the set up and managed the capacity to take account of crowds of this size and we’re very happy with the turn out. It was a fantastic atmosphere with such great levels of support from all those fans who came to enjoy a thrilling evening of football.”


A view of the crowd at Khalifa International Stadium Fan Zone for Tunisia vs England.

The hard-fought game ended in a 2-1 victory for England who secured three points after a winning goal from team Captain Harry Kane in the final minutes of the match. Showcasing the latest sustainable cooling technology and advances in lighting Khalifa International Stadium is described as a truly iconic Qatari sporting landmark. The stadium has hosted many of the most prominent and significant local and regional football events for decades. Its relaunch in 2017 represented the first time that a FIFA World Cup stadium has been ready fully five years before the tournament starts.

Khalifa International Stadium’s unique design encompasses innovative and energy-efficient cooling and lighting technology, which has set a new benchmark in the field of stadium and building design. Such technology is a key part of providing an enjoyable and comfortable experience for fans, and helps explain the venue’s appeal in attracting first-class sporting and entertainment events to Qatar.

Thanks to world-class technology, the stadium has been cooled to temperatures of between 22?C and 29?C, keeping football fans comfortable during Doha’s summer months. Fans can watch the games at Khalifa International Stadium on giant screens that are equipped with state-of-the-art LED lighting technologies which consume 40% less energy and are more sustainable than traditional lighting methods. There are only six stadiums in the world that use such LED technology and Khalifa International Stadium is the first in the region to offer it. Other stadiums that use it include Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge Stadium and Eindhoven’s Philips Arena Stadium.

Due to the growing number of fans attending, AZF has extended the number of spectator seats from 3,000 to 5,000 seats for football fans, organised in a variety of options. Fans looking to watch the games in a more private setting can choose from 16 VIP skyboxes costing QR1,000 each, or 24 Majlis with authentic designs inspired by Qatari culture, costing QR400 each. Elsewhere, fans can enjoy the matches from Khalifa International Stadium’s spectator stands free of charge.

AZF has also allocated more than 2,000 car parking spaces in front of Khalifa International Stadium’s Gate 02, enabling fans to park within a close distance to the entrance Gate. Thanks to the spacious parking area in front of Khalifa International Stadium, fans can enter and leave the Fan Zone with maximum ease.

This year’s Fan Zone is sponsored by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (Main Partner) and Ooredoo (Main Sponsor), as well as Al Attiya Motors and Trading Co, CISCO, Witr Jewellery, Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and Pepsi.

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