Gensler Crafts Radiant Design for Egypt's Al-Ahly Football Stadium
Feb 25, 2025
Global architecture studio Gensler has unveiled an all-red, undulating design for a new stadium for Egypt's famous Al-Ahly football club. Designed as a 42,000-seat national landmark, the project is a collaboration with British engineering firm Buro Happold and the team's investor, El Qalaa El Hamraa.
Carved between Cairo and Alexandria, near Sphinx International Airport, the new stadium's architecture adapts to both the sky and the earth. The pitch, carefully recessed into the ground, adheres to flight path restrictions, but also draws in the natural cooling embrace of the surrounding terrain, blending innovation with environment.
Asymmetry shapes the very soul of the design, from the sweeping curve of its façade to the delicate balance of the cable-net roof resting atop a structural arch. Within, the stadium's asymmetric bowl unfolds in tiers, rising on the west, north, and south sides, drawing fans into the heart of the action and intensifying the energy of the game.
At night, the stadium transforms into a striking visual landmark, featuring a digital façade and an illuminated roof that create a dynamic display - visible both from the ground and from the air as travellers approach.
As the centrepiece of the larger Al-Ahly Club Sports City development, the stadium will anchor a dynamic ecosystem that includes a university, hospital, and mosque.
Photography Credit: Gensler
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Spanish coach Riveiro lays down the law for Ahly stars - Egyptian Football
Spanish coach Jose Riveiro has laid down the law to the stars of African giants Ahly of Egypt as they prepare for another CAF Champions League campaign. Cairo-based Ahly have won the elite African club competition a record 12 times -- seven times more than closest rivals Zamalek of Egypt and TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo. But last season they fell in the semi-finals to Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, losing the tie on away goals after Yasser Ibrahim conceded an own goal in the final minute of regular time. Defeat was particularly painful for the Cairo Red Devils as it was the fourth time they had won back-to-back titles only to fail to create history by lifting the trophy three consecutive times. After three seasons and five trophies with Orlando Pirates in South Africa, Riveiro moved to Ahly last May and has yet to celebrate a victory. Ahly drew with Inter Miami and Porto, who they led four times, at the Club World Cup in the United States and lost to Brazilian outfit Palmeiras. If the 49-year-old Spaniard believed the Egypt Premier League kick-off last weekend would bring a chance of fortunes, he was mistaken. Away to Modern Future, who finished 14th last season, Ahly had to come from behind to secure a 2-2 draw thanks to a Yassin Marei goal. "There is no place for names, and no room for favouritism," said a visibly angry Riveiro after that match. "Whoever proves himself in training and in matches will get chances -- whoever disobeys instructions will have no role in the team." No future Queried by reporters about his line-up, Riveiro said: "I am the coach and I decide who participates and who does not". Riveiro stressed to his squad the need for full commitment to his tactics, warning those who failed to follow them would have no future at Ahly. He echoed the comments of the last two Ahly coaches, South African Pitso Mosimane and Swiss Marcel Koller, that Ahly want to win every competition they are involved in. But Riveiro knows winning the Champions League is of paramount importance for several reasons, including qualification for the 2029 Club World Cup. They have a first round bye in qualifying and will tackle the winners between Aigle Noir of Burundi and ASAS of Djibouti for a place in the group phase. The Club World Cup this year gave Ahly and the other three African representatives, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, Esperance of Tunisia and Wydad Casblanca of Morocco, unrivalled riches. Each club received $9.5 million for qualifying plus an additional $2 million for a win and $1 million for a draw. Sundowns did best, taking home $12.5 million. Wydad will not be involved in the coming Champions League as they finished third in the Moroccan league, leaving champions Renaissance Berkane and runners-up FAR Rabat to represent the kingdom. FAR and the other seven quarter-finalists last season, including eventual champions Pyramids of Egypt will be back, and the field includes 10 former champions and six winners of other CAF competitions. Pyramids will face Rwandan army outfit APR for the third straight season in qualifying and will be expected to complete a hat-trick of aggregate victories. Should the defending champions advance, they will face Insurance of Ethiopia or Mlandege of Zanzibar for a group place. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Daily News Egypt
16 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt, Jordan to activate MOUs in health, industrial zones, SMEs
Egypt and Jordan have agreed to activate a number of previously signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in fields including health, industrial zones, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Egypt's planning minister said on Tuesday. The announcement came as the Egyptian Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, reviewed the report of expert meetings held in Amman ahead of the 33rd session of the Egyptian-Jordanian Higher Joint Committee. The committee is co-chaired by the prime ministers of both countries, Mostafa Madbouly of Egypt and Jafar Hassan of Jordan. In her remarks, Al-Mashat said that since the last session of the committee, bilateral trade volume had increased by 33% in 2024 to exceed $1bn, reflecting the continuous understanding and commitment between the two countries. She added that both governments were keen to overcome any challenges to further strengthen economic, trade, and investment relations. The minister also highlighted achievements in the fields of electricity, gas, and oil, noting the continuation of the electrical grid connection between the two countries and ongoing studies to increase its capacity. In civil aviation, an air transport agreement and an MoU were signed to increase capacity. During the current session's preparatory meetings, the delegations reached numerous understandings on documents scheduled to be signed by the prime ministers, covering fields such as planning, investment, government procurement, and tourism. Al-Mashat also confirmed the agreement to activate a number of previously signed MoUs. These include agreements on the establishment and management of industrial zones, cooperation between financial regulatory authorities, and cooperation in free zones and development zones, as well as agreements between the countries' SME development agencies and health ministries. An agreement was also reached to hold technical committees and meetings in areas including specifications and standards, consumer protection, and land and maritime transport. The joint committee mechanism is one of the main tools through which Egypt seeks to strengthen economic, trade, and investment relations with other countries. The planning ministry oversees approximately 55 such committees.
Daily News Egypt
16 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt adds automotive feeder, non-local industries to list of 28 promising sectors
Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel Al-Wazir held an extensive meeting with leading car manufacturers and automotive feeder industry representatives to discuss strategies for deepening the automotive industry in Egypt. Opening the meeting, Al-Wazir noted that the gathering was part of a series of consultations with industrial sector partners, which have included a broad meeting with steel manufacturers to explore mechanisms for localising automotive sheet metal production, as well as visits to multiple factories. The aim, he said, is to align national production capabilities with the technical requirements of automotive manufacturers and enhance integration within supply chains. The meeting reviewed available capabilities and the current challenges in localising automotive components. Al-Wazir listened to the views of automotive manufacturers on their needs and priorities, which included the establishment of plastic injection moulding factories for car parts, stainless steel plants, tyre production facilities, and other feeder industries. He instructed the Ministry of Industry to begin immediately compiling a comprehensive database identifying key demands, challenges, and opportunities for localising the automotive industry, while strengthening links between car manufacturers and potential suppliers of components not currently produced locally. He further directed that these feeder industries be added to the list of 28 promising sectors eligible for additional investment incentives. The outcomes will be presented at the Reverse Exhibition during the Industry and Transport for Sustainable Development Expo in November 2025 — a platform designed to match import needs with local manufacturing capabilities, boost industrial integration, reduce imports, save foreign currency, and enhance competitiveness, particularly in the automotive sector. Al-Wazir stressed the importance of coordinating the efforts of all relevant entities to achieve the goal of localising the automotive industry. This includes cooperation with the petrochemicals sector to increase the added value of locally produced plastic injection products used in vehicles, and alignment with the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality and the Industrial Control Authority to ensure compliance with the highest technical standards. He also announced plans for field visits to automotive feeder industry producers to examine production lines, assess technical capabilities, and identify practical challenges. These visits, he said, will help devise effective solutions to support localisation plans and improve the efficiency of local supply chains. The minister emphasised that the localisation strategy is built on sustainable legislation, incentives, and implementation plans — creating a stable and attractive climate for long-term industrial investment. The strategy includes a clear, time-bound roadmap to track progress and deliver tangible results. Al-Wazir urged manufacturers to take immediate, practical steps to help meet localisation targets, noting that past experience has shown that those who took early initiative in local manufacturing achieved significant success and entered new markets. He underlined Egypt's substantial production capacity and industrial infrastructure, stressing that leveraging these strengths now would contribute meaningfully to the national economy and position Egypt as a regional hub for automotive manufacturing and components. For their part, automotive manufacturers and feeder industry producers expressed appreciation for the government's efforts to localise the industry and confirmed their readiness to cooperate in achieving industrial development goals. They acknowledged ongoing challenges in certain production stages, particularly in sourcing raw materials and components not currently produced locally, and called for maintaining incentives and streamlining procedures to enable a qualitative leap in the local industry and boost competitiveness in both regional and international markets.
