As Egypt’s planned bid to host the 2036 Olympics which was confirmed by the country President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s as part of his vision for a “new era” in the country, the construction of the Egyptian International Olympic city is coming to reality with all facilities nearing completion.
The International Olympic City which consists of a multi-purpose venue with a capacity of 93,440 seats is set to become Egypt’s new national stadium, replacing Cairo International Stadium in this role. It will be the second largest facility in Africa, second only to the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The arena is being built in the New Administrative Capital, a gigantic urban project under construction since 2015, aimed at creating a new metropolis from scratch, 45 km east of the country’s capital, Cairo.
The stadium is being built as the centrepiece of the International Olympic city complex that will also include two large sports halls, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a hippodrome, a tennis complex, squash facilities, training pitches, as well as administrative, cultural and hotel buildings.
The Olympic city will be the largest complex of its kind in Africa and the Middle East. Its creation should enable Egypt to compete for the organisation of major sporting events such as the Olympic Games and the football World Cup.
The stadium will be equipped with an athletics track, which will be surrounded by three-level oval stands. The reinforced concrete structure of the stands will be surrounded by a steel tendon structure with distinctive high masts, responsible for maintaining the membrane roofing that will cover the entire auditorium. On the outside, the stadium will be crowned by a multi-shade blue and turquoise facade.
Construction of the venue began at the end of 2019 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. The main contractor for the arena is the Egyptian construction tycoon, Orascom Construction PLC. Work is progressing rapidly and the schedule appears to be unthreatened.
There are also plans to help Egypt’s athletes win more Olympic medals.
The youth and sports minister has big plans, and he talks a good game, too. In Ashraf Sobhy’s mind, Egypt belongs in only one place: the very pinnacle of international sports.
“We are able to host any global sporting event,” the 53-year-old said in early January when he announced Egypt’s intent to launch an official bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympic Games.
