Work on two stadiums will improve pitch quality before emirate hosts Fifa Club World Cup in December

Construction has started on Abu Dhabi’s two Fifa Club World Cup venues, which will host the event in December.

Work on the playing surfaces of Zayed Sports City Stadium and Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium will bring the pitches up to international standards. The turf work will last 15 weeks. The venues will host all eight matches between them during the event, which will run from 9 to 19 December. A further seven stadiums in Abu Dhabi are being upgraded to act as training grounds for the visiting teams.

Mohammad Khalfan Al Rumaithi, president of the UAE Football Association, said: "These pitches are an important part of the legacy the Fifa Club World Cup will leave behind for the emirates. Not only will the standard of playing facilities available for UAE professional clubs be raised, but academies, like the one run by Al Wahda Club, will have the opportunity to train and develop young players on world-class surfaces for many years to come."