Al-Maktoum Stadium

About Al-Maktoum Stadium

First stadium on the site dates back to 1978, though it entered the 21st century in its form from 1995. It was a stadium typical to the Emirates, that is built with a running track which eventually went out of use. But the low stands and distance from the field reaching 30 meters behind goals persisted. That's why hosting rights for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup were used as opportunity to redevelop the stadium for legacy use by Al Nasr, one of Dubai's most notable clubs. Only the main grandstand was left of the old ground, a fact one might notice by details like slightly assymmetric shape of the stand. Of course the grandstand saw expansion of its floor space. It also became entirely dedicated to premium seating and media representatives. All other sections were demolished and rebuilt in a true 'rectangular' layout. The change? Lenght of the stadium was reduced by 25 meters, while capacity grew from 12,000 to 15,000, an increase required by AFC.