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Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises is building a new grandstand and refurbishing the existing facilities at the Al Ain Club as part of the UAE’s preparations for hosting the FIFA World Youth Championships in 2003. Ben Smalley reports.

   The eyes of the football world will be on the UAE in a few months time when the country hosts the FIFA World Youth Championships - the world’s biggest soccer tournament after the World Cup.

   The 24 best countries from around the globe will be represented in the Under 20’s competition, with matches taking place at six stadiums across the UAE from March 25 to April 16.

   Preparation work is well underway ahead of the massive event, including the construction of a new grandstand and the complete refurbishment of the existing facilities at the Al Ain Club – one of the main venues for the championship matches.

   Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises, the construction arm of the Al Habtoor Group, won the tender for the Dh 68 million project, which will become an international showcase for the quality and exceptional standard of sports facilities in the UAE.

   Project Manager Yehia Abdullah said: “The stadium will take centre stage during the championships. It is a flagship development which reflects the UAE, and we are pleased and honoured to be involved with it.”

   The main work involves the construction of a 3,500-seat grandstand, which will also house the changing rooms for the teams, media facilities and VIP areas for dignitaries attending the matches.

   “It consists of a basement, ground, first, second and third floor,” Mr Abdullah explained. “The basement is essentially a service and storage area, the ground floor is the central part of the VIP foyer, and to the left and right are the changing rooms, washrooms and locker rooms for the teams.

   “The first floor includes prayer rooms, as well as washrooms and toilets for the VIPs. On the second floor there is the VVIP lounge, as well as conference and media rooms, and the third floor consists of suites where the VVIPs can relax, and also the media broadcasting room, control rooms for the scoreboards and floodlights, and associated service rooms.”

   The contract awarded to Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises also includes providing a new scoreboard, replacing the floodlights, refurbishing existing facilities and building a 1.5km boundary wall around the site – all of which have to be completed to exacting standards.

   “The stadium is being refurbished and a new grandstand constructed for the FIFA World Youth Championships, which means they have to meet all the requirements for stadiums as laid down by FIFA, the governing body of world football,” Mr. Abdullah explained. “For example, there are certain specifications for the scoreboard and the floodlights, and any stadium has to meet those requirements in order to be approved by FIFA.”

   He added: “Basically we are working to achieve all those requirements. We have replaced the football pitch and laid it with new grass, we have changed the seating, and we are changing the floodlights to achieve the required lux (illumination level).”

   Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises is the main contractor for the project, and is also working with a number of specialised subcontractors who are dealing with the roof canopy, MEP services, the seating, scoreboard and floodlights.

   “This job was offered for special tender to a few contractors who have a good reputation and the ability to get the job done quickly, as the time scale is an important factor,” Mr. Abdullah said. “A project of this type would normally take 14-16 months to complete, but our contract is nine months - so it is very intensive.”

   Work began on site at the beginning of April 2002, and is expected to be completed by January 15 - in plenty of time for the start of the championships in March.

   “Between Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises and the subcontractors, we have about 750 people working on the project,” said the project manager. “The time limit is the most crucial factor, but we are confident the work will be completed in time and to the standards and quality for which we are renowned.”

   For Yehia Abdullah, the stadium is his first project for Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises, having joined the company in May. Previously he worked as project manager for a contracting company in Abu Dhabi , and also worked in Kuwait for a number of years after graduating from the University of Texas in the USA in 1983.

  “This is the first time I have worked on a stadium – but construction is construction no matter what you are building,” he said. “It is an exciting project to be involved with and I am looking forward to seeing the new grandstand and other facilities hosting such a major world event when they are complete.”

   As construction has been taking place, the nations vying to compete in the championships have been playing in qualifying competitions around the world in a bid to earn their place in the finals in the UAE – and already 15 teams have qualified following matches in Asia , Europe , Central and North America .

   The six teams refour countries representing Central and North America will be the United States, Canada, Mexico and Panama.

   The remaining nine countries will qualify over the coming weeks from South America, Africa (four from each continent) and one from Oceania - with the draw to decide which teams will play against each other in the finals due to take place in Abu Dhabi on January 29.

   Mohsin Al Dossary, a member of the 2003 World Youth Organising Committee, said the 24 teams will be split into six groups of four and will play in a league format before the winners go through to the later stages.

   “Out of the six groups in the preliminary league, two will be played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, while Al Ain and Sharjah will stage one group each,” he explained.