Zaha Hadid-designed Qatar stadium ready by year-end

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The Qatar World Cup venue designed by renowned Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid will be ready by the end of 2018, said a report, citing senior officials responsible for the project.

The 40,000-capacity Al Wakrah Stadium, being built at a cost of $575 million, is expected to be one of two further 2022 venues completed this year, reported AFP.

Building work on the 60,000 Al Bayt stadium is also expected to be completed by December.

Once this gets completed, Qatar would have built almost half of its proposed eight venues with four years still to go to the tournament, stated the report, citing the officials.

Qatar is building eight stadiums for the World Cup, although FIFA has yet to decide on a final number of venues and could instruct the Gulf state to build a ninth, stated the report.

The stadium at Wakrah, some 15 km south of Doha, will be used during the World Cup for games up to and including quarter-finals. After the World Cup, the capacity will be reduced to 20,000.

It was one of Hadid's last major designs before her death in March 2016, aged 65, said the AFP report.

The Khalifa International Stadium, also the venue for the 2019 World Athletics Championships, was completed last year.