DOHA: Construction of the stadiums being built to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup is advancing rapidly across Qatar, with the venues for the first tournament in the Arab world continuing to take shape during the peak year of preparations.

Following the completion of Khalifa International Stadium — Qatar’s first tournament-ready venue — in May 2017, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) is advancing as scheduled with work on the remaining seven venues, the SC said on its official website. The mega-project recently passed 150 million man hours across all sites, including 116 million man hours at stadium construction sites alone. Reaching this landmark figure is tantamount to the strong collaboration between the SC and its numerous stakeholders, according to Yasir Al Jamal, Vice Chairman of the SC’s Technical Delivery Office.

“Major progress continues to be made across our stadium sites – and this is credit to not only the work of the SC, but also our various stakeholders, contractors and sub-contractors,” said Al Jamal. “From day one, we have committed to strong collaboration with all our partners — particularly in relation to the health and safety of our workers. Reaching 150 million man hours is a notable landmark as we continue our journey towards 2022.”

More than 30,000 people are currently engaged on SC projects, with 26,000 directly involved in the construction of proposed Qatar 2022 stadiums.

With regard to health and safety, the SC’s Health & Safety Assurance Division has overseen 1,800 site safety visits. In addition, the SC organises monthly Safety Health and Environment Leadership Team meetings with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Labour, Ashghal and Qatar Rail. Since 2016, the SC has worked alongside Building and Woodworkers International, a global trade union, to carry out joint health and safety inspections, while contractors are encouraged to visit different project sites to share lessons learned and best practices.

Al Jamal added: “The health, safety and wellbeing of our workers is our number one priority. We remain committed to regular inspections and collaboration opportunities, both of which allow us to share knowledge and lessons learned.”