King Saud University Stadium (KSUS) (Arabic: ملعب جامعة الملك سعود, romanized: ʿmaleab Jāmiʿah al-Malik Saʿūd), known as Al-Awwal Park (Arabic: الأول بارك) due to sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In September 2020, SMC obtained the management rights for operating the stadium. In October 2020, SMC signed a deal with Al Nassr FC for the Al-Awwal Park to become their home stadium.[1]
Al-Awwal Park الأول بارك | |
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 View from inside Al-Awwal Park | |
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| Former names | King Saud University Stadium (2015–2020) Mrsool Park (2020–2023) |
|---|---|
| Location | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Owner | King Saud University |
| Operator | SMC |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2011 |
| Built | 2011–2014 |
| Opened | 7 May 2015 |
| Renovated | 2020 |
| Construction cost | 215m SAR |
| Builder | Hashem Contracting Company |
| Tenants | |
| Al Hilal (2018–2020) Al Nassr (2020–present) | |
| Website | |
| victoryarena.com | |
History edit
The construction work on the campus of King Saud University in Western Riyadh started in Spring 2011 and the opening took place in May 2015.[citation needed] The construction work was commissioned to Hashem Contracting Company, based on designs by Michael KC Cheah and his wife Steph, expanding their architectural portfolio of Saudi-based football stadia.
Hashem Contracting Company delivered the stadium following specifications (and FIFA rules for international games) within the budget of 215 million riyals ($57m). The stadium may seem soil-brown or gold depending on the sunlight due to its perforated and metallic outer skin. Mrsool Park went through a renovation at the end of 2020 and this will continue going forward to transform it into a young and family-friendly destination with fan zones and entertainment areas for everyone to enjoy.[2]
In 2020, the stadium went through a re-branding operation becoming Mrsool Park in November 2020, following the signing with the delivery company Mrsool.[1]
In 2021, the stadium hosted the Maradona Cup between Boca Juniors and FC Barcelona to honor Diego Maradona, who died the previous year.[3]
In April 2023, the stadium was renamed Al-Awwal Park after Saudi Awwal Bank signed a $15 million sponsorship deal for the next three years.[4]
Notable matches edit
Events edit
Gallery edit
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Al-Awwal Park players tunnel -
Al-Awwal Park locker room
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "Saudi Arabia: KSU Stadium changes name and will undergo a serious facelift". stadiumdb.com. 15 December 2020.
- ^ "History". Victory arena. Saudi Media Company (Operator). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Maradona Cup: The impressive stadium where Barcelona and Boca Juniors will meet". BolaVIP. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- ^ Badughaish, Salem (5 April 2023). "Cristiano Ronaldo's club Al-Nassr renames the stadium". Football Business Journal. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
24°43′45.5″N 46°37′25.3″E / 24.729306°N 46.623694°E
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