The Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi Stadium, which is located in Woldia, Wollo, will be inaugurated on January 14, 2017. The stadium was built at a cost of 500 million birr (more than USD 22 million) and took four-and-a-half years to complete.
The Ethiopian-born Saudi business tycoon Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi, who was born in Woldia, covered the cost of construction. With a seating capacity of 25,155, the stadium boasts a lawn tennis court, a basketball court, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a volleyball field, a handball field as well as a guest house.
At a press conference held on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at Sheraton Addis, MIDROC Technology Group CEO, Arega Yirdaw (PhD), stated that the stadium would meet both FIFA and IAAF standards. He further noted that other stadium facilities included four dressing rooms, 156 floodlights, eight sound-proof press rooms, VIP seats, a state-of-the-art drainage system, a 1,000-car-capacity parking lot, internet and telephone services and 36 water tankers.
Although the stadium is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 14, it will host its first competitive game on inauguration day when Mechare takes on one of MIDROC group’s teams. On January 15, Woldia will entertain Sidama Coffee on Week 7 of the Ethiopian Premier League fixture.
Other features of the stadium include an electronic gate entry system for maximum security, a helipad for emergency evacuations, and numerous shops. On inauguration day, the Woldia City Administration would take over from MIDROC Technology Groups the day-to-day running of the stadium, Arega added.
Ethiopian Premier League side Woldia City Football Club will use the stadium to host their home game starting the new 2016/17 season.
Woldia Stadium will join the league of three other national stadiums (Addis Ababa, Hawassa and Bahir Dar) that meet international standards. Harar, Mekele, Adama and Nekemet stadiums will register as international ones in the coming years.
Last year, Ethiopia hosted the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup. With such facilities in place, it will not be a pipe dream for Ethiopia to host the African Cup of Nations finals (AFCON). Read more here
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