Hazza bin Zayed Stadium tipped to inspire next generation of sports stars

The Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain is set to open its doors to the public for the first time this weekend.

The stadium can accommodate 25,000 spectators and its launch will be marked by a match between Al Ain and Al Dhafra on Friday. Satish Kumar / The National

AL AIN // Al Ain Football Club’s new ground is set to inspire the next generation of home-grown sports stars.

Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, which opens to the public this weekend, has been dubbed the “home of football in the UAE” by its creators.

The launch will be marked by a match between Al Ain and Al Dhafra and a three-day family festival, the Big Kick-Off, which will give fans the chance to explore the 45,000 square-metre facility.

The event will feature five zones with different UAE themes and activities for all ages designed to inspire healthy living.

Running, juggling, high-jump, BMX, climbing and advice on sports nutrition will be available at the festival, which begins on Thursday.

To mark the opening of the 25,000-seat stadium, Al Ain has unveiled a new strip made by international sports brand Nike.

“Al Ain is an established sports entity that works according to its ambition and strategy,” said Ghanem Mubarak Al Hajeri, the chairman of Al Ain Sports Games.

The club has also freshened up its logo.

“All this is thanks to the vision of our leadership. The new logo reflects the goals, ambitions and aspirations of the club in the coming period, which focuses on the home of football in the UAE,” Mr Al Hajeri said.

“[We believe] sport has a great role in delivering a message far greater than competing ... and that our great leadership will aid in the growth of the nation’s people.

“This new chapter has many changes, aimed at excellence. It’s a new chapter in shape, architecture and appearance for the fans, a new chapter in the presentation of sports for all sport fans.

“Everyone is living a historic occasion by being here today in Hazza stadium – a building many experts will speak of, that has been built with all the meanings and vision of design that provides comfort to the audience in how they view the matches. ”

The mammoth project, which will also feature apartments, 50 restaurants, retail outlets and a hotel, is expected to put Al Ain at the forefront of sport in the country.

“It is more than just a football stadium, we look at it as a historic sports venue in the UAE,” said Kareem Nagi Hassan, chief executive of Al Ain Club Investment Company.

“It is a game changer. It will be used not just for football but other sports and non-sports events – those will be announced throughout the year.

“This is the pride of Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. A lot of passion went into the design and construction, a huge team.

“I am thankful to everyone who has contributed to the success of the stadium.”

Mr Hassan said that promoting sport across the country was at the forefront of the developers’ minds.

“We look to the new generation, the youth, we look to the future leaders in the emirates and this stadium is not just a symbol of sport, it is a lot more than that,” he said.

“It is an inspiration for future football players, athletes and also architects and engineers. We have built a very capable team to lead the stadium made up of UAE nationals. We hope that they in turn will be the inspiration for the future.”

Mohammed Abdullah bin Bdua, a board member of Al Ain FC, said: “We never expected that we’d have a stadium such as Hazza stadium in our country.

“Today we are proud to say that this architectural sculpture is part of our football stadium. We’d also like to announce the new team logo, to go with all the successes and achievement made by Al Ain Club.”