Last year Emirates Airline, one of the world's leading sport sponsors, along with the support of the Government of Dubai, completed the construction of a new purpose-built sports facility with 6 sports pitches, netball & tennis courts, a players club and a banquet hall. The venue played host to the 2008 world record-breaking Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens and the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens just a few months later and will be the proud host to a festival of football with the Emirates Airline Dubai Football 7s in March 2010. This will not be the first time 7he Sevens has hosted football. In January 2009, the venue hosted the Dubai Football Challenge which saw David Beckham making his debut for AC Milan against Hamburg SV. 7he Sevens is also home to the Arsenal Soccer School.
The venue features a permanent grandstand with 4,000 seats while temporary stands are erected around this permanent structure increasing the capacity to up to 50,000.
Hospitality areas, broadcast and medical facilities and changing rooms also feature in the design as well as a 30-metre wide ‘village’ area, featuring cafes and food outlets.
Pitch 2 has been constructed in a bowl shape and is enclosed on three sides by a grass embankment, enabling a crowd of 15,000 to enjoy the sporting action, while a nearby sports complex and clubhouse will eventually include provision for tennis, squash, basketball and badminton as well as a gymnasium and swimming pool.
The Village
The village area will be a hive of colour and activity when the Emirates Airline Dubai Footbal Sevens kicks off on March 11 with plenty of entertainment on offer to keep all ages entertained. A special kids area will be on offer with the usual popular attractions such as face painting, and inflatable games to priovide of entertainment in between the exciting action on the pitch.
