<p class="title">Qatar inaugurated its first purpose-built stadium for the 2022 World Cup, staging a prestigious domestic cup final in the $575 million, 40,000-capacity Al-Wakrah venue.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The ground, designed by late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid and located in a coastal town south of Doha, erupted into cheers as Emir Cup finalists Al-Sadd and Al-Duhail ran onto the pitch on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There were some traffic jams and tight security checks as the ground, which was nearly full for the prestigious fixture, began to fill ahead of kick-off.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I've travelled the world and I've been to stadiums in different cities including the UK," said Yousef al-Jaber, a 35-year-old oil company research director from Doha.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Finally I was able to go to one in Qatar that is world-class," added the Chelsea fan who watched the game with his wife and two sons.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's a one of a kind, it's a futuristic design. Al-Wakrah is a coastal city and the architecture is inspired by that."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani tweeted on his verified account ahead of kick-off that the ground's name would be changed to "Al Janoub stadium" meaning "stadium of the south".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The venue's distinctive retractable roof -- meant to resemble the sails of a traditional dhow fishing boat -- is made of 1,400 pieces and was shipped to Qatar from Italy.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It was plunged into darkness for the pre-match show and performers assembled around a giant illuminated inflatable pearl on the centre of the manicured pitch.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong> 'It is worth it' </strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">A video describing the Gulf nation's history as a pearling station played on the ground's two big screens.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The pearl then slowly transformed into a representation of the Emir Cup trophy before a 150-strong marching band serenaded the stadium.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Former Dutch international Ruud Gullit, who attended the ground's maiden game, called it "a beautiful stadium".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"You go on the pitch and you want to play," said the former captain of the Netherlands side that won the European Championship in 1988.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The design is fantastic, and of course there's the air conditioning." Asked about the stadium's USD 575 million price tag, spectator Sunil Moorkanat, 52, said, "it is worth it".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's the whole infrastructure you have to look at. The ambience is fantastic and all the amenities," added the engineer from India who has been living in Qatar for six years.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Officials had promised that the stadium would be "one of the loudest stadiums" in the world because of its design.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Groups of fans, many of whom wore pristine white Qatari thobes, drummed and sang as Al-Sadd held Al-Duhail to a tense 1-1 stalemate at half-time.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Of the eight stadiums Qatar is building or refurbishing for 2022, Khalifa International was already open and will host this year's World Athletics Championships.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Al-Wakrah, 15 kilometres south of the capital Doha, will be used in the World Cup for fixtures up to and including quarter-finals.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Its capacity will be reduced to 20,000 after the global soccer spectacle.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The stadium was one of Hadid's last major designs before her death in March 2016, aged 65.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Hadid would have loved to be here but her spirit is," added Al-Jaber, the spectator.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The project has not been without controversy and Hadid took successful legal action after it was claimed she did not care about the rights of workers involved in its construction.</p>
<p class="title">Qatar inaugurated its first purpose-built stadium for the 2022 World Cup, staging a prestigious domestic cup final in the $575 million, 40,000-capacity Al-Wakrah venue.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The ground, designed by late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid and located in a coastal town south of Doha, erupted into cheers as Emir Cup finalists Al-Sadd and Al-Duhail ran onto the pitch on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There were some traffic jams and tight security checks as the ground, which was nearly full for the prestigious fixture, began to fill ahead of kick-off.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I've travelled the world and I've been to stadiums in different cities including the UK," said Yousef al-Jaber, a 35-year-old oil company research director from Doha.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Finally I was able to go to one in Qatar that is world-class," added the Chelsea fan who watched the game with his wife and two sons.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's a one of a kind, it's a futuristic design. Al-Wakrah is a coastal city and the architecture is inspired by that."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani tweeted on his verified account ahead of kick-off that the ground's name would be changed to "Al Janoub stadium" meaning "stadium of the south".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The venue's distinctive retractable roof -- meant to resemble the sails of a traditional dhow fishing boat -- is made of 1,400 pieces and was shipped to Qatar from Italy.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It was plunged into darkness for the pre-match show and performers assembled around a giant illuminated inflatable pearl on the centre of the manicured pitch.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong> 'It is worth it' </strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">A video describing the Gulf nation's history as a pearling station played on the ground's two big screens.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The pearl then slowly transformed into a representation of the Emir Cup trophy before a 150-strong marching band serenaded the stadium.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Former Dutch international Ruud Gullit, who attended the ground's maiden game, called it "a beautiful stadium".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"You go on the pitch and you want to play," said the former captain of the Netherlands side that won the European Championship in 1988.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The design is fantastic, and of course there's the air conditioning." Asked about the stadium's USD 575 million price tag, spectator Sunil Moorkanat, 52, said, "it is worth it".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's the whole infrastructure you have to look at. The ambience is fantastic and all the amenities," added the engineer from India who has been living in Qatar for six years.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Officials had promised that the stadium would be "one of the loudest stadiums" in the world because of its design.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Groups of fans, many of whom wore pristine white Qatari thobes, drummed and sang as Al-Sadd held Al-Duhail to a tense 1-1 stalemate at half-time.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Of the eight stadiums Qatar is building or refurbishing for 2022, Khalifa International was already open and will host this year's World Athletics Championships.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Al-Wakrah, 15 kilometres south of the capital Doha, will be used in the World Cup for fixtures up to and including quarter-finals.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Its capacity will be reduced to 20,000 after the global soccer spectacle.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The stadium was one of Hadid's last major designs before her death in March 2016, aged 65.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Hadid would have loved to be here but her spirit is," added Al-Jaber, the spectator.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The project has not been without controversy and Hadid took successful legal action after it was claimed she did not care about the rights of workers involved in its construction.</p>