Hazza bin Zayed Stadium

About

The Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (Istād Hazzāʿ Bin Zāyid) is a multi-purpose stadium, located in the city of Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi, the UAE. It is the home stadium of Al-Ain FC of the UAE Pro-League. The stadium holds 22,717 spectators and opened in 2014. The stadium was named after the chairman of the club, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The 45,000 m2 (480, 000 sq ft) Hazza bin Zayed stadium is split over seven levels, and is one of the most modern sporting venues in the Middle East. It is one of the most sophisticated sports venues in the region. The stadium broke ground in April 2012 and was completed in December 2014. It was planned for Al-Ain to face Manchester City in the inaugural ceremony of the stadium, but City drew 1–1 with Blackburn Rovers in an English FA Cup match on 4 January and a replay with Rovers scheduled on 15 January prevented the English Premier League champions from a trip to the UAE. However the friendly was instead played after the Premier League season was over and Manchester City beat Al-Ain 3–0. The stadium hosted the 2017 and 2018 FIFA Club World Cups, as well as the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.