Abu Dhabi, as a city, has risen to great heights in the recent past. With a glorious cultural heritage and flourishing capitalism, the city now is on the global sporting map also. For more than 30 years now, the stadium in Zayed Sports city has been supporting athletic and soccer events. It was the major renovation, refurbishment and face lift of 2009 that converted a large stadium into the heart of a Sports City Complex. Now, activities are not restricted to being only sporting in nature. Cultural events, annual celebrations, music competitions and many other social events too are regularly featured and hosted.
The successful hosting of matches during the 2009 FIFA world cup shot the stadium into worldwide fame and glory. It is massive in size with luxurious seating being available for more than 43,000 spectators. This includes VIP seating, the exclusive Royal box, corporate hospitality boxes and media facilities. A parade of soccer matches have been hosted at the stadium and all of them have been roaring successes.
The complex has also become the focal point in the city and has resulted in the positive reorganization of many of the city’s facilities. Forming an important node, the complex has improved bus and metro connectivity, brought about the development of trails, walkways, pedestrian bridges and outdoor sports courts and has led to the overall growth and rapid development of the space. It has made Abu Dhabi a destination for many sporting events.
But as stated earlier, the complex is multi-purpose in its functions. By virtue of its sheer size and the marvel of technological support available, the Zayed Sports World plays host to a range of social and entertainment events. It caters to rugby, soccer, boxing, wrestling and athletics as far as sports are concerned but also doubles up a venue for music concerts, orchestras and other performing arts. Many multi-national corporations rent out the complex for corporate games, corporate functions and events and career fairs.
In terms of aesthetics and elegance, the sports complex is unmatched. It has all the modern comforts a spectator and an organizer could ever hope for. Its construction has taken into account elements of the history, the present and the future of Abu Dhabi. For instance, though the structure is ultra modern, it has provisions for the ‘Souk’ which is a traditional open market that is a vital part of the history of the place. For these reasons, the Zayed Sports City Complex can be better called the Zayed City Complex because it does not lend any exclusivity to sports. It is inclusive and all-encompassing in its attitude and outlook. But then, the ‘Sports’ tag seems fit because it has a sporty look and is definitely sportive in its nature!
Via: BurgeoningStudio
