Qatar's State-of-the-Art Multi-Purpose Arenas Achieve GSAS 4 Star Rating

Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena and Lusail Sports Arena become the first arenas in the region to achieve 4 star GSAS rating

The Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD) has assessed Qatar Olympic Committee’s brand new state-of-the-art multi-purpose arenas, the Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena and Lusail Sports Arena, constructed for the 2015 World Men’s Handball Championships, with a four star Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) rating, making them the first sports arenas in the region to achieve such a rating.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the achievement, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said:

"We are happy that Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena and Lusail Sports Arena have achieved the prestigious four star GSAS rating. The Qatar Olympic Committee is committed to developing world-class sports facilities that comply with international federations’ standards and are designed with sustainability and legacy at heart. Including sustainability within the Olympic Movement’s daily operations was one of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations in the recent Agenda 2020 reforms. We are strongly committed to supporting the IOC with the implementation of these recommendations and we hope that our multipurpose arenas will set a new benchmark for sustainable venue development."

GORD, an institution that is working to promote environmentally responsible energy and resource efficient building best practices in the MENA region, launched the GSAS system in 2012 as a new benchmark for sustainable development. It was developed by drawing best practices adopted from 40 different regional and international rating systems. The primary objective is to create a sustainable built environment that minimises ecological impact while addressing the specific social and cultural needs and environment of the region. It is the Middle East’s first integrated and performance-based sustainability assessment system for the built environment.

GSAS Sports is used to rate sports facilities of all types and sizes during multiple phases including design, construction, operations and legacy use. Sports facilities rated by GSAS include any buildings or venues that are designed to host a sporting event which supports activities for athletes/competitors, support staff and spectators. GORD assessed the detailed design of the multipurpose Arenas and audited the construction of the sport facilities to ensure the accomplishment of GSAS 4 Stars rating for the facilities.

Also speaking at the Press Conference, GORD’s Founding Chairman, Dr. Yousef Alhorr said:

"It was a great challenge for the Qatar Olympic Committee’s stadiums to achieve GSAS 4 stars since we have to take into consideration many stringent standards such as; reducing energy and water usage, preserving natural resources, indoor environment, and management and operation." He added, "We would like to thank the design firms, construction companies and QOC for their great efforts in achieving these high sustainability standards. We would like to dedicate this success to the sports community locally and internationally."

The assessment of the stadiums is the result of hard work and synergy between all parties who worked hard to achieve the QOC objectives of having sustainable sport facilities as a role model on global level and implementing green building best practices based on the highest standards of GSAS system.

The GSAS assessment measurements were determined through the detailed evaluation of the building type, functional components, operational considerations, and scale considerations. Measurements and scoring ranges were determined according to this streamlined process in order to create an unbiased rating system for any and all sports. Due to the system framework flexibility and comprehensiveness, it has the capacity to rate sports facilities worldwide after making appropriate adjustments.

The Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena and Lusail Sports Arena were constructed for the 2015 World Men’s Handball Championships, which are currently taking place in Qatar. Both arenas will become multi-purpose halls following the Championships, with the ability to host a variety of sports including basketball, volleyball, badminton and gymnastics, as well as exhibitions and conventions. The Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena has also been designed to be transformed into an ice rink, which fulfils the standards of the International Hockey Federation. The Lusail Sports Arena, which will host the finals on February 1st, will be surrounded by a massive landscape of 350,000 square metres decorated with colorful shaded trees, walking/jogging and bicycling tracks, an outdoor covered gym, as well as covered and open kids playgrounds.

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