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The General Manager of the Libyan Development and Investment Holding Company (LIDCO), Tariq Al-Shaafi, said in an exclusive interview with Libya Herald that the construction work on the Al-Naher (Man-made River) Stadium in the Sports City, Tripoli, under the supervision of the company’s construction management engineers, is proceeding at a good pace. This is especially after the completion of the upper ceiling of the stands and the maintenance of the concrete foundations for installing spectators’ seats.
Completion in June this year
Al-Shaafi added that the work to prepare the stadium continues intensively, even during the month of Ramadan, until the stadium is delivered next June. This will be after the completion of the necessary supplies to complete the rest of the stadium’s service facilities, including changing rooms for players, toilets, a first aid centre, lighting for the stadium, surveillance cameras, the control room and the TV transmission platform. The stadium will also have hybrid grass that was chosen very carefully as it is considered one of the latest types of grass that has been tested in international stadiums.
10,000 seat capacity
Approximately 10,000 seats will be installed for spectators, Al-Shaafi added, which are characterized by strength and solidity, and give the seater comfort for a long time when attending the matches. It is considered one of the medium-sized stadiums, an icon within the Tripoli Sports City.
PM Aldabaiba keen for stadium to be completed on time
Al-Shaafi confirmed that the Al-Nahr stadium is receiving interest from the government of Abd Alhamid Aldabiba, who paid an inspection visit to it during the past days and directed that it be completed within a short period not exceeding next June, so that it will be opened to hold the Libyan League matches and all the various sports activities in Libya.
Middlesbrough Football club played in the stadium in 2000
It will be recalled that the stadium was built and partially completed under the Qaddafi regime. British football club, Middlesbrough FC, played a game to officially open the stadium in May 2000. The match included former England internationals Bryan Robson and Paul ”Gazza” Gascoigne. Saadi Qaddafi played for the Libyan XI. The Libyan side won one-nil.
The game was later seen as part of Qaddafi’s rapprochement with the west after the lifting of the Lockerbie embargo.
