The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee said Thursday that "Qatar has appointed the lead project manager and design consultant" for the first of its World Cup stadiums, according to Regan Doherty of REUTERS. Regional project management and consulting firm KEO Int'l has been appointed project manager, "and Los Angeles-based Aecom Technology Corp was named as design consultant for the al-Wakrah Stadium." The Gulf state "plans to build solar-powered, air-conditioned stadiums to overcome the sweltering summer heat as well as housing, infrastructure and transport for the event." The top tiers of the planned 45,000-seat stadium "will be modular and, following the tournament, the capacity of the stadium will be reduced to 20,000, with the remaining 25,000 seats removed, donated and re-constructed in countries that need sporting infrastructure." Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee Secretary General Hassan al-Thawadi said, "In the coming months, we will also bring on board a project manager and design consultant for Al Rayyan Stadium" (REUTERS, 5/30).
