In an appreciation to its best green practices and measures, Al Thumama Stadium, a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venue, has won the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) 5-Star certification. Senior officials of the Supreme Committee of Delivery and Legacy (SC) received the certificate from GSAS representatives at a function inside the stadium on Thursday. The certificate, which embodies excellence in the areas of sustainability, design and construction, was received by Al Thumama Stadium project manager engineer Saoud Abdulaziz al-Ansari, from the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (Gord) chairman Dr Yousef al-Horr.Al Thumama Stadium's architect engineer Ibrahim al-Jaidah, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy's (SC) Sustainability and Environment director engineer Bodour al-Meer, project management team members, and Gord representatives were present.Al-Jaidah, also chief architect of Arab Engineering Bureau, told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the event that the certification is a prestigious achievement.
"The certification means the stadium has the highest level of sustainability features. All of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums have won the 5-Star or 4-Star certification and Al Thumama Stadium will be setting a benchmark for any stadium going to be built in the future in Qatar," he said. The prominent Qatari architect added that the award came after taking into account the key features, including use of materials, designing and energy consumption. SC's al-Meer said that one of FIFA's requirements was that all stadiums earn at least one four-star green building certification. "Now all stadiums have earned three five-star certifications."Gord's Dr al-Horr said that Qatar's World Cup stadiums were committed to sustainability requirements. "The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy went above and beyond sustainability requirements to ensure the stadiums had the best sustainability standards compared to all previous World Cups," he added.Al Thumama Stadium's energy centre was refurbished and upgraded to meet the latest energy efficiency standards and the stadium has incorporated best practice from the start.The stadium's green design ensures 40% more fresh water is saved when compared to a conventional stadium. Recycled water is used to irrigate green areas. The precinct features 50,000sqm of park area, with native vegetation and almost 400 trees covering 84% of the landscape. While employing modern energy efficiency measures, Al Thumama Stadium maintains a commitment to the region's architectural and cultural heritage. ends...