Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium (Arabic: ملعب نادي الاتفاق), also known as EGO STADIUM for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.[1][2] It is the home stadium of Al-Ettifaq.
 | |
| Full name | EGO STADIUM |
|---|---|
| Former names | Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium (1983–2023) |
| Location | Dammam, Saudi Arabia |
| Coordinates | 26°21′2.056″N 50°10′52.114″E / 26.35057111°N 50.18114278°E |
| Owner | Ministry of Sport |
| Operator | Al-Ettifaq |
| Capacity | 15,000 |
| Record attendance | 12,356 (Al-Ettifaq vs Al-Raed, 4 November 2023) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1983 |
| Renovated | 2021–2023 |
| Construction cost | SAR90 million |
| Tenants | |
| Al-Ettifaq (2023–present) | |
History
editThe stadium was built and opened in 1983 and it was mostly used by Al-Ettifaq as a training ground and for friendly matches. It was also used as a home stadium for their youth teams. The original design featured an athletics track and two stands on the sides, with a capacity of 7,500 spectators. It was named after Abdullah Al-Dabal, former president of Al-Ettifaq and a prominent football official, who was a member of the FIFA Executive Committee.[3]
On 10 June 2021, the Ministry of Sports announced plans to develop three smaller stadiums. Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium was among them, plus the stadiums of Al-Shabab and Al-Fateh. On 10 July 2021, it was announced that the Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium would be closed and undergo major renovations for six months.[4] The redevelopment plans included a change the layout of the stands to a more football-like layout. The existing athletics track will be removed. New stands will be built behind the goals and will receive new roofing. The capacity of the stadium will also increase to 15,000 spectators. However, construction work lasted longer than expected and it was announced that it would be done by January 2023.[5][6] On 13 September 2023, the stadium was officially opened under the name of Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium.[7]
On 4 November 2023, Al-Ettifaq hosted their first-ever league match in the stadium against Al-Raed. The match ended in a 0–0 draw and had an attendance of 12,356 spectators.[8] On 24 November 2023, Georginio Wijnaldum scored the first goal in the stadium in a 1–1 draw against Al-Ittihad.[9]
sponsorship
editOn October 31 2024, the naming rights were sold to EGO, a delivery app until 2026, and the stadium is called EGO Stadium.
References
edit- ^ "AL ETTIFAQ CLUB STADIUM".
- ^ "استاد عبدالله الدبل بنادي الاتفاق - Abdullah Aldabil Stadium".
- ^ "Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium".
- ^ "إغلاق ملعب الاتفاق 6 أشهر".
- ^ "يناير.. الاتفاق يتسلم ملعبه".
- ^ "اقتراب الانتهاء من تطوير ملعب منشأة نادي الاتفاق".
- ^ "وزارة الرياضة تعلن جاهزية ملعب نادي الاتفاق".
- ^ "في افتتاحية ملعبه الجديد.. الاتفاق يسقط بفخ التعادل أمام الرائد".
- ^ "فينالدوم يدخل تاريخ الاتفاق بهدفه في الاتحاد".