DOHA, Qatar, August 25, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Original, innovative, modern stadiums are being developed across GCC nations at an unprecedented rate. Each new development will bring fresh ideas and rapidly advancing technologies. http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/eventsSubmenu.do?showId=971&fromShowPage=T

Against the odds, it is evident that the Middle East is fast becoming an unlikely hotspot for sports tourism, as it looks beyond oil to diversify its economy. In the last two years we have seen sporting events such as the Dubai World Golf Championship, the FIFA Club World Cup Abu Dhabi, the 19th Arabian Gulf Cup and the IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships to name but a few events in the region. The Arabian Gulf Cup having been run for over 30 years, was originally a football tournament but within the last 6 years it has been expanded to include other sports such as basketball, volleyball and handball, and now features national teams from Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Oman and Qatar.

For a region brimming with sporting potential and passion, the stakes are now being pushed higher with Qatar putting out an impressive bid to host the2022 FIFA world cup. Never before has the tournament been held by a Middle Eastern Country and Qatar have undoubtedly pulled out all the stops with their bid to be chosen as host country. With innovative designs being presented, it is clear that contemporary stadium development now involves a planning process far beyond thinking only about sports. There are now many motives that stimulate architectural imagination with the consideration of countless incentives and limitations. When discussing the direction of cutting-edge stadium masterplans, Sven Schmedes, Managing Director of GPM India commented that “the evolution of stadiums is only the beginning of a revolution triggered by operational and media requirements. I strongly believe that the next 12 years will result in a paradigm shift in stadium design and operation”.

Sven also commented that “the growth potential for sporting venues in the Middle East is tremendous and the success of Dubai Sport City shows the demand for state-of-the-art facilities.” With this in mind, Sven advised that the greatest challenge in the region at the moment is “to design multi-purpose indoor sport venues with an integrated and sustainable strategy for operation on a long-term basis”.[Read More]