* List of prohibited items issued
* Metro to run until 3 am on Friday
* Shuttle service from Wakra Station
* Mowasalat offers taxi discount
The stage is set for the much-anticipated Amir Cup final between Al Sadd and Al Duhail at the new 40,000-capacity Al Wakrah Stadium on Thursday night.
The two teams will lock horns for the coveted trophy in front of a packed audience, with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy informing that all tickets for the match have been sold out.
A number of measures have been taken by the organizers and other agencies concerned to ensure smooth conduct of the match as well as to give spectators an experience to cherish.
The match is to be attended by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
The organizers, Qatar Football Association and the SC, have advised fans to arrive at the stadium well ahead to avoid any rush and traffic bottlenecks. The stadium gates and fan zone will open at 7.30pm and the match starts at 10.30pm.
The committee has urged spectators not to carry counterfeit tickets, weapons, chemical substances, fireworks and explosives, drugs, alcoholic drinks, flags of non-participating teams, balls and frisbees, glassware, mugs, cans, flag poles longer than 1m, perfumes, and colognes, pushchairs, and animals.
In addition to these, for the safety of spectators, the organizing committee prohibits animals, umbrellas, selfie sticks, cigarettes and lighters, bicycles and skateboards, recording devices, horns, lasers, batteries and power banks, etc.
Also, gambling, smoking, holding political and religious rallies, unauthorized marketing, trading, collection of money such as busking (seeking donations) and charities, etc, are not permitted inside the stadium.
Entering restricted areas, including the field of play, obstructing gateways, access ways, entrances, exits and stairways and climbing on any structure is also strictly prohibited.
Qatar Rail tweeted that the Doha Metro service on the Red Line (south) has been extended until 3 am Friday so that people can use the service to watch the Amir Cup Final at Al Wakrah Stadium on Thursday night.
Also, due to the shuttle bus service in operation for the Amir Cup final at Al Wakra station, the station car park (West) will be completely closed for customer vehicles all through Thursday, Qatar Rail tweeted. Alternative parking will be available to the eastern side of the station. A map on Qatar Rail's Twitter page provides further details.
There will be changes in the Metrolink feeder bus service of Doha Metro, too. Service hours will be extended to 3.30am tomorrow at all stations except Al Wakra, where the service will be suspended at 6 pm today, according to a tweet. This is due to the operation of the shuttle service for the Amir Cup final between Al Wakra station and the stadium.
In a related development, Mowasalat said it was offering a flat 25% discount on Karwa taxis for those traveling to Wakrah to attend on Thursday night's final. A promo code, "AMIRCUP", has to be used by Karwa app users, according to a tweet by the transport company.
Qatar Rail said it recommends that spectators reach Al Wakrah station before 8.45pm to ensure their arrival at the stadium before the game. The shuttle bus takes around 20 minutes from the station to reach the stadium, it added.
Meanwhile, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has urged road users not attending the on Thursday night's final to avoid the area surrounding Al Wakrah Stadium from 6.30pm Thursday until 2 am Friday.
In a statement, Ashghal said it has delivered a number of local roads, expressways and various infrastructure projects that serve Al Wakrah Stadium, developing new roads and upgrading existing roads to facilitate access to the stadium and its facilities.
In co-ordination with the General Directorate of Traffic, Qatar Football Association and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Ashghal said it contributes to easing traffic management on roads surrounding the stadium through a number of directional signs that lead people to the parking plots with its different categories, in addition to a mobile overhead gantry with supplementary signs to lead road users.
An integrated team was established by the Roads Operation and Maintenance Department at Ashghal in February to survey, study and test all available road assets such as asphalt condition, road signs, safety barriers, drainage assets, street lighting, pedestrian crossings, tunnels, traffic signs, etc. to ensure the readiness of these assets, in co-operation with all partners.
The parties concerned agreed upon key aspects such as operational plans, the development of immediate emergency response plans and preparation of the necessary teams and equipment to ensure the success of the Amir Cup final, in addition to the study of all road projects being implemented around the stadium and ensure readiness during the event.
These were in addition to planning road closures, traffic diversions, and alternative routes during the event to facilitate the movement of individuals and vehicles.
In a statement on Thursday, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said the organizing committee of the Amir Cup has issued a number of instructions for spectators with the aim of successfully and safely conducting the final.