2022 - FIFA World Cup

Infomatika has deployed the LENTA SEACS electronic access control system at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Qatar. The work scope included development, supply and commissioning of more than 120 units of unique smart access control equipment.

The complexity of the project was due to the fact that Qatar is one of the most difficult countries in the world in terms of its weather conditions. The combination of heat, humidity and sand dust puts forward quite strict requirements for the supplied equipment

A lot of efforts have been made to adjust Horizon turnstiles and Navigare automatic gates to the challenges and requirements of not only FIFA, but the specifics of Qatar as well. 

The equipment has passed the required certification and has been assigned a confirmed IP65 class.

Numerous tests and demonstrations have confirmed that the product quality meets all the stated requirements. The check during the inspection visit by the Customer's representatives to Kazan, in June 2019, confirmed the production capabilities and the reliability of quality control. The project was delivered in record-breaking time. In four months, more than 120 pieces of access control equipment were produced and delivered to the Customer.

Despite the impossibility of onsite presence at the site due to coronavirus restrictions, the company was able to provide remote technical support for the system. All installation and commissioning operations were carried out remotely through local partners with the remote support of Infomatika technicians.

Ahmad bin Ali stadium is equipped with the unique LENTA SEACS access control system (the international version of Lenta ACS):

• 94 Horizon smart turnstiles, 30 automated Navigator smart gates, and a premium Contour Classic turnstile have been installed on the inner perimeter of the stadium,
• More than 60 mobile Lenta Data Terminal scanners were used to control access at the external perimeter,
• The system has been successfully integrated with the FIFA ticketing system.
  

Uniqueness of smart-turnstiles:

• fully autonomous (can be powered from the UPS for up to two hours and automatically switch between online and offline modes),
  
• fully functional (equipped with a built-in controller, reader, and software),
  
• variable (have at least two identification factors),
  
• interactive (with an intelligent light indication and a built-in color display)
  
• up-to-date software (the embedded software is constantly being improved and updated without replacing the hardware)

The grand opening of Ahmad bin Ali stadium built for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, was on December 18, 2020. As part of the opening ceremony, the arena hosted the final match of the 48th Emir's Football Cup. The President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Gianni Infantino who attended the opening ceremony was impressed by the new arena, noting that such a stadium is ideal for hosting the World Cup matches.

  

FIFA WORLD CUP QATAR 2022

Seven matches, including the 1/8 final game between the national teams of Argentina and Australia, were played at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium as part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup
held from November 20 to December 18, 2022. 

According to FIFA rules, during the preparation for the championship and before each match, the entire system must be tested to ensure its functionality and the operation of all end devices: each turnstile, reader, mobile terminal, all AWS connected to the system.  The systems are tested both the day before the game and on the day of the event in order to ensure a level of reliability that meets the criteria of the International Football Federation. Therefore, on the days of the matches, Infomatika employees attended the stadium and provided the system's technical support. The system operated faultlessly. The Horizon smart turnstiles performed well in the hot, humid, and sand-dusty environment.

In total, during the championship period, the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium was attended by more than 290,000 spectators.