SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia opens new sports stadium.

Record ID: 189462

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia opens new sports stadium.
  • Date: 5th May 2014
  • Summary: NEAR JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA (MAY 1, 2014) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) SCREEN SHOWING AERIAL VIEW OF KING ABDULLAH SPORT CITY (KASC) MEMBERS OF AL-AHLI AND AL-SHABAB FOOTBALL CLUBS SHAKING HANDS IN KING CUP FINAL MATCH AL-SHABAB FANS IN STADIUM STADIUM AL-AHLI FANS CHANTING AL-AHLI PLAYING IN FINAL FAN HOLDING DRUM WITH AL-AHLI LOGO AL-SHABAB SCORING GOAL VARIOUS OF AL-SHABAB FANS CELEBRATING SCOREBOARD SHOWING RESULT OF MATCH (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF STADIUM TEAM, MITEB AL-QAHTANI, SAYING: "The stadium has been designed and built to the highest international standards and specifications, matching the specification of FIFA, the stadium accommodates 60,000 spectators. The thing that distinguishes this stadium is a lack of a racetrack, which makes viewing more fun and exciting, fans will be closer to the game." LOGO OF (KASC) SCREEN SHOWING POSTER OF KING ABDULLAH WAVING SCREEN SHOWING KING ABDULLAH WAVING TO THE FANS SCREEN SHOWING FANS CHEERING VARIOUS OF SCREEN SHOWING BOY SUSPENDED IN AIR AND CARRYING FOOTBALL TO KING ABDULLAH SCREEN SHOWING KING ABDULLAH APPLAUDING SCREEN SHOWING BOY HANDING BALL TO KING ABDULLAH FANS IN STADIUM CHEERING SCREEN SHOWING KING ABDULLAH HOLDING BALL AND SAYING (Arabic): "We open Sport City as a gift to the brotherly Saudi people." FANS IN STADIUM CHEERING AL-SHABAB TEAM CELEBRATING WINNING THE CUP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DIRECTOR OF THE KASC CEREMONY, FAISAL YAMANI, SAYING: "Thank god, what distinguishes the celebration is the smile that you see on our faces, joy in the eyes of all those present and the number of attendees, 60,000 spectators." VARIOUS OF PERFORMERS DANCING AT CEREMONY LIGHT SHOW IN STADIUM VARIOUS OF TRADITIONAL DANCERS PERFORMING VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE WATCHING VARIOUS OF TRADITIONAL DANCERS PERFORMING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SPECTATOR, LOAI HAMZAH, SAYING: "Thank you Abu Miteb (King Abdullah), the stadium is a source of pride for all the athletes inside and outside the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I saw a lot of stadiums in Europe, in the UK, the Real Madrid stadium and the Barcelona stadium, but the King Abdullah Stadium, the Jewel, is superior to all these stadiums." VARIOUS OF KASC CEREMONY AND FIREWORKS
  • Embargoed: 20th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAEGN5Y6VMJ803XBUAH2QGNG90F
  • Story Text: Saudi Arabia unveiled the King Abdullah Sports City stadium, nicknamed the 'Jewel', on Thursday (May 1).
    The multi-million dollar stadium took 14 months to build and is located 60 kilometers north of the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
    As well as the main soccer stadium, the sports complex includes a 2,000 seat multi-sports hall, an outdoor 1,000 seat athletic stadium and indoor training fields.
    Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah attended the opening ceremony along with other members of the royal family, which included fireworks, a light show, and dance performances,
    In a rare public appearance, King Abdullah Bin delivered a welcome speech, saying: "We open the sport city as a gift to the brotherly Saudi people".
    Miteb Al-QahtanI, a member of the stadium's organising team, said that the main stadium can hold 60,000 spectators, and was built to the highest standards.
    "The stadium has been designed and built to the highest international standards and specifications, matching the specification of FIFA, the stadium accommodates 60,000 spectators. The thing that distinguishes this stadium is a lack of a racetrack, which makes viewing more fun and exciting, fans will be closer to the game," he said.
    Director of the opening ceremony, Faisal Yamani, said that the ceremony was very well received by spectators.
    "Thank god, what distinguishes the celebration is the smile that you see on our faces, joy in the eyes of all those present and the number of attendees, 60,000 spectators," he said.
    Spectator Loai Hamzah added that the stadium was better than any he had visited around the world.
    "Thank you Abu Miteb (King Abdullah), the stadium is a source of pride for all the athletes inside and outside the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I saw a lot of stadiums in Europe, in the UK, the Real Madrid stadium and the Barcelona stadium, but the King Abdullah Stadium, the Jewel, is superior to all these stadiums," he said.
    The opening ceremony included the final match of the Two Holy Mosques Cup between Al-Ahli and Al-Shabab soccer teams, two highly popular clubs in the Kingdom, with Al-Shabab winning the Cup.
    Screens were set up in several areas around Jeddah so that residents could catch a glimpse of the action.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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