Millions dirham contracts for the design and build of two major sporting venues have been signed in the Dubai Sports City, the integrated sports city and cornerstone project of Dubailand. Arabtec-Max Bogl, a joint venture partnership, has been contracted to design and build a 60,000-seater multi-purpose outdoor stadium and a 10,000-seater multi-purpose indoor stadium.

The contract, worth 830 million Dirham, would see the indoor stadium completed in April 2009 and the outdoor stadium by the end of that year.

Taken together, they will become key venues at Dubai Sports City, capable of hosting the most prestigious sporting and entertainment events and firmly positioning Dubai Sports City, and Dubai, as a leading sports and entertainment destination.

The 60,000 multi-purpose stadium will fully comply to specifications for international football, rugby, American football and athletics events, while the 10,000 seat indoor multi-purpose stadium will allow for a wide range of sporting events including ice hockey, basketball, tennis, and volleyball. In entertainment mode, the venue will be capable of hosting concerts and other major public gatherings.

“Dubai Sports City aims to partner with the world’s most advanced designers and developers in the construction of this pioneering project, to ensure that we create a dedicated environment capable of playing host to spectacular sporting events,” said Khalid Al Zarooni, President of Dubai Sports City.

“Arabtec-Max Bogl brings together a wealth of experience and vision that will ensure that our new stadia are recognised as representing the pinnacle of sporting architecture,” he added.

Both construction partners have strong records in the development of internationally-renowned projects. Arabtec is one of the companies responsible for the development of the Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest tower, and Max Bogl has more recently constructed football stadiums in Frankfurt and Cologne, as well as the spectacular roof structure of the Munich arena, for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

“Dubai Sports City is one of the most exciting construction projects in the world today, which will further propel Dubai onto the world stage as a global leisure destination,” said Riad Kamal, Chairman of Arabtec-Max Bogl.

“The stadia we are building will be landmarks in their own right, not only in Dubai but in the region as a whole. Visitors and residents alike will be able to enjoy some of the most exciting live sports and entertainment events. It is very rewarding to play such an integral role in this unique project,” added Johann Bogl, Company Owner, Max Bogl.

“The quality of the partners we are bringing on-board for the development of these new facilities demonstrates the scale of Dubai Sports City’s ambitions. These will be world-class venues, capable of hosting the world’s premier sporting events,” said U. Balasubramaniam, CEO, Dubai Sports City.

Once complete, both venues will add to the advanced sports infrastructure of Dubai Sports City. A 25,000 capacity cricket stadium and a 5,000-seater hockey stadium, both of which are due for completion in early 2008, complete the quartet of major stadia.

Dubai Sports City is laid out to ensure easy access to the major stadia for high numbers of visitors, while at the same time ensuring that residents retain the calm and peace of their specific communities.

Executives are confident that the FIFA-standard multi-purpose outdoor stadium and the indoor stadium will both prove worthy venues for international sporting events and world class entertainment shows and concerts.