The Hamdan Sports Complex, one of the world’s biggest and most modern multi-purpose facilities built on a 240,000-sq m-area in Dubai, has obtained three key ISO certifications on its 10th anniversary  (October 10).

 

These are ISO 9001 for Quality Management System, ISO 45001 for Occupational Safety and Health Management System, and ISO 14001 for Environmental Management System.

 

The facility has been designed to host more than different 10 Olympic sports, including basketball, badminton, handball and volleyball alongside all kinds of aquatic sports like swimming, synchronised swimming, diving, synchronised diving and water polo, said a statement from Dubai Sports Council.

 

Two months after its inauguration by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council in 2010, the complex had hosted one of the biggest aquatic events on the international calendar - the 10th FINA World Swimming Championships from December 15-19, which attracted participants from 153 countries.

 

It was the first time these events were being held in an Arab country, and every competitor and official was left impressed by the magnificent facility, especially its striking architecture and world-class facilities.

 

Dressed on the outside in contrasting hues of blue and a glistening glass façade, the cavernous complex boasts two 50-m Olympic-standard swimming pools in its golden teardrop-shaped competition centre inside, stated the council. 

 

Both pools have moveable floors and they can also be covered when needed to turn the arena into a sturdy surface fit for any non-aquatic sport event, or even non-sports events like conferences and exhibitions.

 

The swimming pools can also be transformed into 25-meter pools of varying depths at any time by simply pressing a button. Adjacent to the pools is an Olympic-sized diving tank, equipped with diving boards at heights of 10 m, 7.5m, 5 m, 3 m and 1 m, it added. 

 

Rising over the 10-lane swimming pools and diving tank is a three-tier, horseshoe-shaped seating bowl that can accommodate 15,000 spectators. 

 

The fans, besides following the live action, can also view replays on four giant screens hanging from the ceiling in the centre of the arena. In addition to those four screens, there are four other text-display screens showing results and other relevant information, said the council.

 

The arena also boasts a royal VVIP lounge as well as luxurious executive boxes, and a working area for journalist that can accommodate 200, as well as a spacious press conference. Besides, it also has changing rooms for 400 athletes, rooms for umpires, a health club, gymnasium as well as training pool.

 

"The Hamdan Sports Complex has embraced many ground-breaking and eco-friendly technologies, in line with the Dubai’s vision of becoming one of the top sustainable cities in the world," explained Ahmed Al Shafar, the chairman of the board that manages the complex.

 

The board, which includes members with considerable expertise in managing investment projects and developing financial policies, has Nasser Aman Al Rahma, the Assistant Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, as its deputy chairman, while Ali Al Mutawa, Mohammed Suleiman Al Mulla and Mahir AbdulKarim Julfar are the other members.

 

Abdulla Shahdad, the director of the complex, is the first Emirati national to manage the complex and has been working to implement the directives of Dubai Sports Council and the policies set by the board, which aim to enhance the status of the complex and attract more athletes and events to the arena.

 

All of its outdoor lights are solar-powered and pools are consistently maintained at a temperature of 27 deg C. The glass exterior, meanwhile, allows for optimised natural light penetration, especially for the offices and the main entrance at the first floor where it’s most required, said the chairman.

 

Lauding the achievement, Al Shafar pointed out that Hamdan Sports Complex was a model to emulate for every modern multi-purpose sports facility. 

 

"This ultra-modern architectural marvel and sporting edifice has become one of the pillars of developments in the country’s sports sector," he noted.

 

Al Rahma described Hamdan Sports Complex as a fundamental pillar in the development of UAE's  sport sector.

 

"It has hosted many national and major international sports events, thanks to its architectural magnificence and adoption of ground-breaking technologies. It has hosted continental and world champions from many different sports, giving an opportunity to our youngsters and talents to compete against the best, at the highest level, and gain from the experience," he added.-TradeArabia News Service