The Cairo International Stadium – Flickr/brave_heart698
CAIRO – 7 September 2018: Cabinet's spokesperson Ambassador Ashraf Sultan on Thursday announced a project to develop the Cairo International Stadium, which includes the establishment of hotels and courts to host several sports activities.
According to Sultan, the plan aims at converting the 58-year-old stadium into a fully integrated sports hub, which will be the first of its kind in Egypt.
With a capacity of 75,000 seats, the Cairo International Stadium was considered the foremost Olympic-standard facility befitting the role of Egypt as the center of sports events in the region. It is the 69th largest stadium in the world.
The stadium was completed and inaugurated by former president Gamal Abd El Nasser in 1960 during the anniversary of the 1952 Egyptian Revolution. It is located about 10km west of the Cairo International Airport.
In 2005, the stadium underwent major renovation in preparation for the 2006 African Cap of Nations; it was brought up to 21st century world standard along with all its multi-game Olympic facilities.
Moreover, the stadium was notorious for holding more people than it was intended to; it was able to host over 120,000 fans for the 1986 African Cap of Nations Final match between Egypt and Cameroon, in which Egypt won.
The stadium also served as the main stadium of the 1991 All-Africa Games.
The Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex, located near the Cairo International Stadium, consists of 4 Olympic-standard indoor sporting arenas with a main hall capacity of 20,000 spectators. It hosts several sports events, including handball, volleyball, as well as international conferences and fairs.
The complex was built for the 1991 All-Africa Games, which witnessed the participation of 43 countries in 18 sports. Egypt hoped during that time to showcase Cairo for a possible Olympic bid.
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