Qatar may be a tiny country in terms of land area, but what it has going for it is a large heart and an appetite for all things record-breaking.

For example, did you know that Qatar is home to the world’s biggest indoor dome? The Aspire Dome is the world’s largest indoor sports stadium.

The Dome houses the Aspire Academy, which trains Qatar’s young sporting champions of the future.

HH The Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani opened Aspire Academy on  17th November, 2005, in the presence of footballing greats Pele and Diego Maradona, among other dignitaries. Interestingly, this was one of the last occasions where the Brazilian and Argentinian greats appeared together in the public sphere.

Ever since its opening, Aspire Dome has received worldwide acclaim. It hosted a series of major events, including the 2006 Doha Asian Games and 2010 IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships among others.

The Aspire Dome consists of around 13 separate multi-purpose halls and can comfortably seat 15,500 people.
The Dome also features an incredible 250,000 sqm of roofed area.

If you have not been to the Aspire Dome yet, this Qatar National Day would be an ideal time to do so!

Image credits:

Cover image - Clariba/YouTube

Inline image - Aspire Academy