30-week refurbishment complete at UAE's largest stadium

Construction company ISG has announced the completion of a 30-week refurbishment at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium, the largest sporting venue in the United Arab Emirates.

Upgrades at the Stadium, built in 1979, saw the renovation of public bathrooms, concourses, staff offices, the VIP lounge area and safety systems in order to be compliant with local authority and international standards.

The renovation of the 43,000-seat stadium, one of the oldest stadia in the UAE, also included the introduction of more sustainable equipment such as intelligent lighting, more efficient air conditioning and environmentally friendly cooling and fire suppression systems.

The refurbishment also included essential upgrades to the existing electromechanical systems, including the replacement of four electrical substations.

Steve Ramsden, ISG’s Managing Director - Middle East explains “ISG was appointed to undertake the Zayed Sports City Stadium refurbishment with the knowledge that it had to be completed ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE which took place recently.

 “This is the second time that ISG is entrusted with a mission-critical project that is linked to the stadium and our team, once again, delivered brilliantly. Naturally, this could have only happened with the support of our client and experienced consultants, so we are thankful to all stakeholders, who ensured a seamless and successful delivery of these works.”

The stadium remained live throughout the refurbishment process and hosted several sports events. This posed several challenges for ISG, from a logistical and operational perspective, especially with the upgrade of the electrical substations and air handling units, as it meant planning and scheduling shutdowns, while keeping the building fully operational.

The new fit out boasts many sustainable features, including intelligent lighting to reduce energy consumption, new AC units, which are connected to the BMS system to monitor and control air flow and cooling and fire suppression systems, which have zero effect on ozone depletion.

Since opening in 1979, it has undergone several refurbishments over the years, including a 2009 fitout upgrade, which was also delivered by ISG, ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup that year. 

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