The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2009 announced that work has begun on a new, full-size football pitch at Emirates Palace, a national landmark and one of the world’s most luxurious resorts. The pitch will be one of the highest quality football pitches ever constructed by a hotel and will serve as one of eight official training grounds during the tournament this December.

Set against the stunning backdrop of Emirates Palace, the pitch is being built to the highest international standards and will be surrounded by a natural grass amphitheatre to provide protection as well as privacy and seating.

The pitch is part of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE’s wider legacy programme and Emirates Palace’s long term strategic vision as a world-leading luxury hotel and leisure destination. It will remain a permanent feature of the hotel and will be utilised as a warm weather training facility for professional sports teams from around the world.

His Excellency Mohammed Khalfan Al-Rumaithi, President of the UAE FA, said: “Emirates Palace is an iconic symbol of Abu Dhabi and we are thrilled to be working closely with them to stage a magnificent tournament this December. Equally important, they have committed to build an excellent facility that will be used well into the future and will become an important piece of the infrastructure legacy that the FIFA Club World Cup leaves behind for the UAE.”

Emirates Palace is located on 1.3 km of private sandy beach and surrounded by 85 hectares of landscaped gardens. Excavation began this week on the immediate area that will house the pitch, and will be followed by the fitting of a high tech drainage and irrigation system, the addition of layers of special gravel and sand, cultivation of the soil and finally the planting of grass through an advanced hydraulic system known as ‘hydro sprigging’. The pitch will then be developed and maintained daily, so it is ready for play by November.

Mr. Hans Olbertz, General Manager of Emirates Palace, said: “We are in the business of providing our guests with extraordinary experiences, and we intend to do just that when the best of the best in international club football come to visit Abu Dhabi this year. With the addition of a professional quality pitch on our grounds, we will be able to offer something no other property in the Middle East can.”

The FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2009 presented by TOYOTA will take place from the 9th-19th December in Abu Dhabi.

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